Turnip Cake Recipes

CHINESE TURNIP CAKE (萝白糕)

Steps:

• We'll be prepping several ingredients here:
• We'll need to cook everything for a bit and add some flavors before it becomes a turnip cake mix that we can steam.
• While our wok is cooking, we'll prepare our cake pan by:
• Slowly add the rice flour mixture. Make you do not pour it all in at once and that you continuously stir the mixture to ensure you don't produce lumps.
• To tell if the cake is done, you can stick a chopstick straight into the pan.
• While the cake pan is still in the steamer, we'll sprinkle some of our leftover Chinese sausage onto the pan and cover it for 30 seconds.
• Once it's cooled, you can take the turnip cake out from the pan however you'd like, but my dad has a pretty elegant sequence:

TURNIP CAKE (LAW BOCK GOW)

Steps:

• Cut the bacon into 3 equal pieces and place in a 9-inch shallow heatproof bowl. Bring water to a boil over high heat in a covered steamer large enough to fit the bowl without touching the sides of the steamer. Carefully place the bowl into steamer, cover, reduce heat to medium, and steam 15 to 20 minutes, or just until the bacon is softened and there are juices in the dish. Check the water level from time to time and replenish, if necessary, with boiling water. Carefully remove the dish from the steamer and set aside to cool.
• Peel the turnip and grate to make about 4 1/2 cups. In a 3-quart saucepan, combine grated turnip and about 1 quart cold water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 30 minutes, or until very tender. Drain, reserving the cooking liquid.
• Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, soak the mushrooms in 1/2 cup cold water 30 minutes, or until softened. Drain and squeeze dry, reserving the soaking liquid. Cut off and discard stems and mince the caps. In a small bowl, soak the dried shrimp in 1/2 cup cold water for 30 minutes, or until softened. Drain, reserving soaking liquid. Finely chop shrimp and set aside.
• Remove the bacon from its dish and reserve the juices. Cut off and discard the rind and the thick layer of fat. Cut the remaining meat into paper-thin slices and then finely chop. In a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or skillet, stir-fry the chopped bacon over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, or until meat releases fat and just begins to brown. Add the minced mushrooms and shrimp, and stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes. Add the rice wine, sugar, and pan juices from the bacon, and stir to combine. Remove from heat.
• Return the cooked, drained turnip to the saucepan, add the bacon and mushroom mixture, and stir to combine. In a large bowl, combine the rice flour and the reserved mushroom and shrimp soaking liquids, stirring until smooth. Stir in 1 cup of the hot turnip broth. Pour this batter into the saucepan, add the salt, and stir until combined. The consistency will resemble that of rice pudding. Pour mixture into a heatproof 8-inch round, 3- to 4-inch-deep, straight-sided bowl, such as a soufflé dish.
• Bring water to a boil over high heat in a covered steamer large enough to fit the dish without touching the sides of the steamer. Carefully place the dish into the steamer, cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and steam 1 hour, or just until cake is set and is firm to the touch. Check the water level and replenish, if necessary, with boiling water. Carefully remove the bowl from the steamer and allow to cool on a rack for about 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 to 4 hours.
• Run a knife along the edge of the cake to loosen sides. Place a cake rack over the bowl and invert to unmold. Flip the cake right-side up onto a cutting board. Wrap the cake in plastic and refrigerate until ready to use.
• When ready to eat, cut cake into quarters. Cut each quarter crosswise, not into wedges, but into two 2-inch-wide strips. Cut each strip crosswise into scant 1/2-inch-thick slices. This is the typical way of slicing a cake Chinese style.
• Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or skillet, over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add just enough oil to barely coat the wok. Add the turnip cake slices in batches and cook 2 to 3 minutes per side, until golden brown. Serve immediately, with oyster sauce.

TURNIP CAKE

Steps:

• Cook shredded turnip with 1 cup of water for 5 minutes.
• Add some sugar if turnip is bitter.
• Heat 1 tspn of oil, stir fry Chinese sausage/ham, dry shrimp, mushrooms, shallots until done.
• Add black or white pepper if desired.
• Mix ingredients and rice flour with turnip.
• Add salt if desired.
• Note: this mixture should not be too thick.
• Turnip cake will turn hard if it is too thick.
• To steam: Choice (1) place step 5 mixture in a container and use steamer to steam for 50 minutes with high flame.
• Choice (2) If you do not have a steamer, use 8x8x2 baking pan.
• Cover baking pan with foil paper, pour in mixture.
• In a large deep pan, add water, position a bowl in center of pan, then, place baking pan on top of bowl.
• Put on lid and steam for 50 minutes with high flame.
• Chill turnip cake in room temperature.
• Slice cake into square or rectangular shape with a cleaver.
• Fry in pan with 1 tbspn of oil until golden brown on both sides.
• Sauce: Minced garlic and red chili pepper Mix with soy sauce, a drop of sesame oil and little bit of sugar.
• Ready to serve.

GOURMET TURNIP CAKE (KIHEN FIN VEISSERIBEN)

Steps:

• To make cake: Preheat oven to 350ºF. Butter an 8-inch springform pan; sprinkle with flour.
• In a medium bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, turnip puree, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt and chopped nuts.
• Pour cake batter into buttered pan. Bake 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on a rack 5 minutes before removing side of pan.
• To assemble cake: In a medium bowl, cream butter, egg yolks and powdered sugar. Cut horizontally through center of cooled cake, making 2 layers. Spread 1/3 of the frosting over lower half of cake; place other half of cake on top. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake; sprinkle evenly with grated nuts. Refrigerate until served; refrigerate unused portion.