Step 1

If using a 7-inch round pan, the cake will be about 1 1/2-2 inch in height. If using 5-inch round pan, you will need 2 pans and the cake will be about 2 1/2 or close to 3 inches in height. You can also use 6 inch round pan too

Step 2

Blanch the banana leaves in hot boiling water for about 5 minutes to soften it. Then pat dry and set aside

Step 3

Cut the banana leaves into 7-inch width and about 7-8 inch length. Line the leaf horizontally and then vertically like a "+" (overlapping at the bottom of the dish) and then diagonally like an "X" to make sure I cover all the side and bottom of the dish. Repeat this pattern for 2 more times. For slow cooker, skip down to slow cooker to read the instruction

Step 4

Place both sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer or until sugar is melted. Remove from the heat and let it cool down completely. Strain the mixture if using gula Jawa or gula Melaka as sometimes there are some impurities in the sugar

Step 5

Gradually pour the sugar mixture into the flour and stir until smooth. If lumps persists, simply strain it with a sieve and then pour into the prepared pan lined with banana leaves. Add the orange zest if you plan to use and stir to combine. If you don't use banana leaves, lightly oil the sides and bottom of the pan for easier release later

Step 6

Prepare the steamer by bringing the water to a rolling boil. Give the nian gao batter a stir and pour nian gao batter into the prepared pan and cover with aluminum foil or wrap the lid of the steamer with a dry kitchen towel. Place inside the steamer and steam on high heat for 30 minutes and then lower the heat and steam for 2 1/2 - 3 hours or longer. You may need to refill the water in the steamer throughout the cooking process. Don't let it dry out

Step 7

The nian gao will still appear very soft at the end of cooking time and that's very normal. You need to let the nian gao cool down completely. Wrap them up with plastic wrapper and they will be ready in 2 days. At day 3, the nian gao will be much more firm and can be sliced. After day 3, I recommend to wrap them up and keep them in the refrigerator or they can start to get moldy (because we don't put preservatives). They can keep for months in the freezer however

Step 8

For slow cooker, you need a smaller round pan or cans lined with banana leaves that can fit in your slow cooker. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Place the nian gao inside the slow cooker and wrap the lid with a dry clean clorth and then very carefully pour in the boiling water into the slow cooker up to the point where you fill up the batter. Cook on low for 10-12 hours. It will still appear somewhat soft, but that's normal. Remove from the slow cooker and let them cool down completely

Step 9

Pour 1 cup of water into the inner pot. Set the trivet. Place the nian gao on top of the trivet. Cover with aluminum foil. Close the lid. Pressure release valve to seal and press pressure cooker, high pressure. I recommend using aluminum or stainless steel pan as they conduct heat better. I don't recommend using a thick glass container. Set the timer to 60 minutes and then wait 5 minutes to release pressure

Step 10

The cake will still appear very soft. If you use a chopstick to poke the middle of the cake, nothing should stick to the chopstick, if there is, the cake is not cooked through yet

Step 11

Let it cool down completely and then wrap with aluminum foil. Let it sit at room temperature for at least 24 hours before unmoulding or attempting to cut. They will get slightly firmer. They can be kept at room temperature for up to 1 week if it's not humid. They can be refrigerated for up to 6 months