Beijing Honeycomb Cake

Beijing Honeycomb Cake

　　Honeycomb cake is a type of steamed dessert made from wheat or rice flour mixed with sugar, fruit ingredients, and more. It gets its name because when cut open, it reveals many small honeycomb-like holes inside.

Red and white honeycomb cakes are made by fermenting wheat flour into a thick batter, evenly mixing in alkaline after fermentation, then topping with fruits such as red dates, osmanthus, pine nuts, and raisins. The batter is then steamed in a steamer basket, with the fruits placed on top and a layer of oil brushed over. During steaming, a few holes are poked in the surface with chopsticks to release steam. Red honeycomb cake is made using standard flour and brown sugar, while white honeycomb cake uses high-gluten flour and white sugar. Both versions are fragrant, sweet, soft, and pleasant to eat.

Bowl honeycomb cake is made by fermenting high-gluten flour, then mixing it with alkaline and white sugar. Small bowls are cleaned, greased inside, and filled with the batter. Five red dates are placed on top, and the cake is steamed over high heat until cooked. The resulting cake takes the shape of a bowl, with a flower-like top, soft texture, and pleasant mouthfeel.

Rice flour honeycomb cake is actually also a type of bowl cake, but instead of wheat flour, it uses glutinous rice flour. The process involves washing polished round-grain rice, soaking it in cold water for 4–5 hours, draining it thoroughly, and grinding it into fine powder. A basin is used to break up old starter dough, which is then mixed with warm water to form a thin paste. Rice flour is added and stirred evenly, covered, and left to ferment. Once fermented, alkaline is mixed in while still warm, and the mixture is poured into a fermenting bowl. Sugar, osmanthus, and alkaline powder are added and stirred vigorously into a paste (care should be taken to balance the alkaline so that it neutralizes the acidity appropriately). The alkaline-adjusted rice paste is then ladled into small bowls that have been pre-greased and steamed over high heat. Upon removal, toppings such as green plums, melon seeds, and candied hawthorn cubes are sprinkled on top, or arranged into patterns. The rice flour honeycomb cake has a milky white color, complemented by red and green fruit toppings for an attractive appearance. It is soft, fluffy, and deliciously sweet. Because of its honeycomb structure, it is also called rice flour honeycomb cake.