Korean Steamed Rice Cake with Nuts – Baekseolgi with Add-ins Recipe
Baekseolgi is a traditional Korean steamed rice cake, usually snow-white and served on special occasions such as a child's first birthday. In this version, we enrich it with nuts and dried fruit, making the dessert more interesting for everyday palates. The texture is somewhere between a moist sponge cake and a dense pudding, but without eggs and without baking.
This version of baekseolgi combines the delicate, traditional Korean steamed rice cake with crunchy nuts and sweet dried fruit, creating a dessert that feels both festive and approachable for everyday snacking.
Chef's tips
Do not over-wet the rice flour mixture – the texture should resemble damp sand, not batter. If the mixture is too wet, the cake will become gummy instead of light and fluffy. Wrapping the lid with a cloth is important: it prevents water droplets from falling onto the surface and creating soggy spots.
How to serve
Serve on a simple plate or wooden board, cut into bite-sized cubes. It pairs well with green tea, roasted barley tea, or lightly sweetened coffee. For a more festive presentation, sprinkle the top with a few extra nut pieces just before serving.
Ingredients
- glutinous rice flour not regular rice flour, but glutinous rice flour - 300 g
- sugar - 120 g
- salt - 0.25 teaspoon
- water lukewarm - 150 ml
- walnuts roughly chopped - 30 g
- almonds flakes or roughly chopped - 20 g
- dried dates pitted, cut into strips - 30 g
- raisins optional - 20 g
- oil for greasing the pan - 1 teaspoon
- baking paper for lining the pan
Preparation
- Prepare a pot for steaming: pour water into the pot, place a steamer insert or metal sieve on top so it does not touch the water. Cover with a lid and start heating so the water comes to a boil.
- Lightly grease a square or round pan (about 18–20 cm) with oil and line the bottom with baking paper, leaving the edges of the paper sticking out to make it easier to remove the cake.
- In a bowl, mix the rice flour, sugar, and salt. Gradually add the lukewarm water, mixing with your hand or a spoon until you get a moist, loose mixture resembling wet sand. It should not be liquid – when you squeeze it in your hand, it should clump together but easily fall apart.
- Push the mixture through a coarse sieve or rub it between your fingers to break up larger lumps – this will make the cake fluffier.
- Pour half of the mixture evenly into the prepared pan and gently level the surface with your hand without pressing too hard.
- Sprinkle this layer with half of the nuts, almonds, dates, and raisins.
- Add the remaining rice mixture, level the surface, and scatter the remaining nuts and fruit on top, pressing them in lightly with your fingers.
- When the water in the pot is boiling vigorously and steam is rising strongly, carefully place the pan on the steamer insert. Cover with a lid, preferably wrapped in a clean cloth so that condensation does not drip onto the cake.
- Steam over medium heat for 25–30 minutes without lifting the lid. After this time, turn off the heat and leave the cake in the pot for another 5 minutes.
- Remove the pan, set aside for a few minutes until it cools slightly, then lift out the cake by grabbing the edges of the paper. Cut into squares with a sharp knife, preferably slightly moistened with water so it does not stick.
Storage
Ciasto przechowuj w lodówce, szczelnie przykryte, żeby nie wysychało. Przed podaniem możesz je lekko podgrzać na parze lub w mikrofalówce, aby znów było miękkie.
