Osmanthus Water Chestnut Cake
A classic Jiangnan tea snack combining the sweet scent of osmanthus with the crunch of water chestnuts in a soft, translucent cake.
Ingredients
6 items- Water chestnuts 250g
- Water chestnut flour 150g
- Granulated sugar 100g
- Water 750ml
- Dried osmanthus flowers 3g
- Osmanthus syrup 30ml
Nutrition
Steps （8 steps）
Peel and dice water chestnuts into 5mm cubes. Set aside.
In a small pot, combine 450ml water, sugar and most osmanthus flowers (reserve some for garnish). Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then lower heat and cook for 5 minutes. Strain and discard flowers, keep the osmanthus syrup.
In a bowl, mix water chestnut flour with 300ml water, whisk until smooth. Strain through a sieve.
Slowly pour the hot syrup into the flour mixture while stirring quickly until it thickens into a translucent paste. Add diced water chestnuts and mix well.
Brush a deep dish with a thin layer of oil. Pour in the batter, smooth the surface, and tap on the counter to release air bubbles.
Bring a steamer to full boil. Place the dish in, cover, and steam over medium-high heat for about 20 minutes until the cake is fully set and translucent. A toothpick inserted should come out clean.
Remove the dish and let it cool to room temperature, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours until firm.
Unmold the cake, cut into diamond or rectangular pieces. Arrange on a plate, brush with osmanthus syrup, and sprinkle with reserved osmanthus flowers.
Tips
Stir vigorously while pouring the hot syrup into the batter to gelatinize it – this ensures a springy, non-crumbly texture. Chill well before slicing for clean edges.
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