Huang Ri

Huang Ri

　　Corn is recognized worldwide as the "golden crop," ranking first among cereal grains in fat, phosphorus, and vitamin B2 content. Cornmeal contains linoleic acid and vitamin E, which can lower cholesterol levels in the body, thereby reducing the occurrence of arteriosclerosis. Cornmeal is also rich in calcium and iron, helping to prevent high blood pressure and coronary heart disease. Modern medical research shows that cornmeal is rich in glutathione, an anti-cancer factor that can bind with various external chemical carcinogens in the body, neutralizing their toxicity before they are expelled through the digestive tract. Coarsely ground cornmeal contains large amounts of lysine, which can inhibit tumor growth. Cornmeal also contains the trace element selenium, which accelerates the decomposition of oxygen free radicals in the body and suppresses malignant tumors. The abundant dietary fiber in cornmeal promotes intestinal peristalsis, shortens the time food stays in the digestive tract, reduces the absorption of toxic substances, and minimizes the irritation of carcinogens on the colon, thereby decreasing the risk of colon cancer.

　　　　In the hands of the people of Pingyao, cornmeal can be transformed into many delicious dishes. For example, cornmeal steamed cake, also known as "Huang Ri" in the Pingyao area of Shanxi, is made by mixing finely ground cornmeal, fermenting it, adding sugar, steaming it, and serving it with pickles. Today, we bring you a steamed cake recipe that has been refined through repeated testing—the finished product is sweet, soft, and remains fluffy even when cooled, with a texture comparable to Western-style cakes. It’s simple to make—even complete beginners with no experience in working with dough are guaranteed success on the first try. Moreover, I use the microwave method, which only takes 5 minutes, significantly reducing the steaming time required with a conventional stove, making the process more convenient and faster.

　　 [Ingredients]: 150g wheat flour, 50g cornmeal, 1 egg, 200g milk, 1/4 tsp yeast powder, 20g cooking oil, 2 tbsp honey, 2 red dates, a small handful of raisins.

　　 [Milk Yeast Water Preparation Process]:

　　 1. Pour 200g of milk into a clean bowl.

　　 2. Place the small bowl in the microwave and heat on high for about 20 seconds until the milk is lukewarm.

　　 3. Add 1/4 tsp of yeast to the warmed milk.

　　 4. Stir evenly with chopsticks to create milk yeast water, then let it sit for 10 minutes.

　　 [Honey Egg Emulsion Preparation Process]:

　　 1. Crack 1 egg into a bowl.

　　 2. Add about 2 tbsp of honey.

　　 3. Add 20g of cooking oil.

　　 4. Stir the honey, cooking oil, and egg mixture evenly with chopsticks until it becomes emulsified.

　　 [Steamed Cake Batter Preparation Process]:

　　 1. Place 150g of wheat flour and 50g of cornmeal into a mixing bowl.

　　 2. Stir the two types of flour evenly with chopsticks.

　　 　3. Gradually pour the honey egg emulsion into the flour while stirring with chopsticks to form a milky batter with plenty of dry flour.

　　　 4. Gradually add an appropriate amount of milk yeast water to the dry flour.

　　 5. Stir the yeast water and dry flour evenly with chopsticks until there is no dry flour left and a wet dough forms.

　　 　6. Continue adding an appropriate amount of milk yeast water to the wet dough in portions.

　　 　7. Stir the yeast water and wet dough evenly with chopsticks to dilute the wet dough into a pourable batter.

　　 8. The batter should drip smoothly off the chopsticks like water droplets.

　　 [Fermentation and Microwave Steaming Process]:

　　　 1. Take a large bowl that can fit in the microwave and evenly brush the bottom and sides with a layer of cooking oil.

　　　 2. Wash the red dates and raisins, tear them into appropriately sized pieces, and scatter them at the bottom of the bowl.

　　 3. Pour the prepared batter into the bowl.

　　 4. Cover with plastic wrap and let it ferment in a warm place for 40 minutes.

　　 5. Let the batter rise until it fills up to 90% of the bowl’s capacity.

　　 6. Scatter some red dates and raisins evenly over the risen batter.

　　 7. Place a plate upside down over the bowl, then put it in the microwave and heat on high for 5 minutes until the batter is cooked.

　　 8. Remove the bowl from the microwave.

　　 【Experience and Tips】:

　　　　1. The ratio of cornmeal to wheat flour can be adjusted freely according to your preferred texture, but the maximum should not exceed 1:1, otherwise the texture will become too coarse.

　　 　2. If you don’t have honey, you can substitute it with white sugar or brown sugar to add sweetness—the effect is the same, and the amount can be adjusted according to your desired level of sweetness.

　　 3. The amount of milk should be adjusted according to the gluten content of the flour. Add it gradually to the flour,

　　adjusting the flour into a wet dough before diluting it further with the milk and yeast mixture. This ensures that the batter won’t have any lumpy bits.

　　 4. The prepared batter should have a moderate consistency. If it’s too thick, the finished steamed cake will be hard in texture; if it’s too thin, it will be difficult to shape.

　　Therefore, when mixing the batter, do not pour the milk and yeast mixture directly into the flour all at once to avoid making the batter too thin due to excessive liquid.

　　　 5. Brush a layer of cooking oil on the bottom of the microwave-safe bowl to prevent the finished cake from sticking and make it easier to remove. Alternatively, you can line the bottom with microwave-safe plastic wrap before adding the nuts and batter.

　　 6. After pouring the batter into the microwave container, let it rise again. Once risen, tap the sides of the bowl several times with your hand to release air bubbles formed during fermentation—this prevents the cake from collapsing after steaming.

　　 7. The microwave heating time can be adjusted appropriately based on the amount of batter.

　　 8. If you don’t have a microwave, you can steam the batter using a steamer. The time required depends on the amount of batter, generally around 30 minutes.

　　 9. To check if the cake is done, insert a toothpick straight into the center of the cake. If it comes out cleanly without any sticky or wet batter on it, the cake is fully cooked.