Traditional Chinese Steamed Cake (Fa Gao)
This is a fa gao recipe I came up with after searching through many different versions. It's light and fluffy yet still traditional, representing prosperity during the New Year.
warm water (no more than 100 degrees F/40 degrees C)
½
cup
active dry yeast
2
teaspoons
cake flour
1 ½
cups
cornmeal
½
cup
superfine sugar
⅓
cup
salt
½
teaspoon
milk
½
cup
melted butter
⅓
cup
egg
1
unknown
vanilla extract
¼
teaspoon
raisins (Optional)
¼
cup
 Pour warm water into a small bowl, then sprinkle yeast over the surface. Let stand until yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam, about 5 minutes.
  Sift cake flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt together in a small bowl.
  Beat milk, melted butter, egg, and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in flour mixture until just combined. Stir in yeast mixture until smooth. Cover with a light cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, 1 to 2 hours.
  Line a 9-inch round pan with parchment paper. Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.
  Pour risen batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle with raisins. Place the pan onto the steamer insert. Cover the pan and steam until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes.
  Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes, then remove cake and place directly onto the wire rack to cool completely.
