Chef notes
When I was a kid, I knew that Lunar New Year was around the corner when my Pau Pau (grandma) made her steamed cupcakes. Fa gao is also sometimes called "prosperity cake," because the bigger and taller the cake tops bloom, the more prosperous your new year promises to be. The unexpected secret to Pau Pau's steamed cupcakes is a box of Bisquick! It's not a traditional Chinese baking ingredient, but it gives these unassuming brown sugar-sweetened cakes a tender crumb and beautifully bloomed top.
Technique tip: Mix the batter until it just becomes smooth. Avoid over-mixing so your cakes don't come out tough. Swap option: Instead of brown sugar, you can swap it with granulated sugar or coconut sugar.
Special equipment: Bamboo steamer (metal also works) and individual cupcake tins/molds.
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups pancake mix, such as Bisquick
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 1⅓ cups water
Preparation
1.Prepare your steamer setup and bring water to a rapid boil. Line ten individual 3-inch cupcake molds with paper liners and arrange in two bamboo steamers.
2.In a medium mixing bowl, whisk to combine the pancake mix, flour, brown sugar and water until smooth. (The batter should be thick but runny.)
3.Divide the batter evenly between the molds, filling each about three-quarters full. Stack the bamboo steamers and cover with a lid. Steam for 15 minutes. Lift the lid, remove the steamers and allow the cupcakes to cool for 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
