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Wheel cakes
Chēlún bǐng (車輪餅) / hóng dòu bǐng (紅豆餅): thick griddle cakes filled with red bean or custard
Outside school gates and at the entrance of nearly every night market, a vendor in front of a cast-iron plate full of round wells turns out these fat, wheel-shaped cakes by the dozen, and the after-school queue tells you they're a children's favourite. A soft, slightly crisp shell, like a cross between a pancake and a waffle, encloses a generous centre of sweet red bean paste or warm vanilla custard; taro paste and even savoury fillings appear too. A wheel-cake or imagawayaki pan gives the right shape, though egg rings in a frying pan work. Overfilling the moulds with batter is the usual misstep: the halves then spill and won't close neatly. Chef's tip: grease the moulds well before every batch and keep the heat low, so the shells turn evenly golden while the filling heats through.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the custard
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 ¾ oz caster sugar
- ⅔ oz cornflour
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ⅓ oz butter
For the batter
- 7 oz plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 ⅜ oz caster sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 tbsp vegetable oilplus extra for greasing
For the filling
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Method
0/10 doneStep 1: Whisk 2 egg yolks, 1 ¾ oz caster sugar and ⅔ oz cornflour in a saucepan until smooth, then gradually whisk in 1 cup whole milk.
Step 2: Cook over a medium heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens and bubbles, then keep bubbling for 1 minute more so the egg is fully cooked and it holds a thick ribbon.
5 minStep 3: Off the heat, whisk in ½ tsp vanilla extract and ⅓ oz butter. Spread on a plate, press cling film onto the surface and chill in the freezer for 10 minutes to firm up.
10 minStep 4: For the batter, whisk 7 oz plain flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 ⅜ oz caster sugar and 1 pinch salt in a bowl. In a jug, beat 2 eggs with 1 cup whole milk and the 2 tbsp 2 tbsp vegetable oil, pour into the dry mixture and whisk just until smooth, like thick pancake batter. Rest for 5 minutes.
Step 5: Roll 9 oz sweetened red bean paste into 6 flat discs, about 5 cm across.
Step 6: Heat a wheel-cake pan over a low to medium-low heat and brush every mould generously with oil. Fill each mould one-third full with batter.
1 minStep 7: Cook for 1–2 minutes, until the edges set and bubbles appear. Place a red bean disc or a heaped tablespoon of custard in the centre of half the moulds, leaving the batter in the other half plain.
2 minStep 8: Spoon a little more batter over the fillings to cover them, then cook for 2 minutes, until the plain halves are golden underneath and set on top.
2 minStep 9: Flip each plain half onto a filled half with a skewer, pressing to join. Cook for 1–2 minutes more, turning once, until golden on both sides and the cakes sound hollow when tapped.
2 minStep 10: Lift out and repeat with the rest of the batter and fillings. Let the custard ones rest 2 minutes before eating, as the filling is very hot.
12 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 62 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does wheel cakes take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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