Rainbow Rice Cake
Instructions
Thaw out frozen rice flour package and put it into a large bowl.
Sift the rice flour.
Add 10 cups of water in the bottom of a steamer, and place a wet cloth over the rack.
Place the 8 inch cake ring in the center of the rack.
Brown layer (the bottom layer):
Place 1 cup of rice flour in a medium sized bowl. Add 1 ts cocoa powder, a pinch of salt, 2 tbs of white sugar, and 4 ts of water.
Mix it all up and press out any wet lumps by rubbing the lumps gently between your palms.
Put the mixture into a sifter and sift into the center of the ring.
Flatten out the mixture so it sits level in the ring.
*tip: a business card works well
Green layer:
Place 1 cup of rice flour in a medium sized bowl. Add a pinch of salt, 2 tbs sugar, and 1 ts mugwort powder (ssukgaru).
*tip: you can replace mugwort powder with green tea powder
Put 2 tbs of water and 1 drop of green liquid food coloring into a small bowl and mix well.
*tip: Use a chopstick to get a very little amount of the food coloring
Add the green water to the rice cake mixture and mix it all up. Press out any wet lumps by rubbing the lumps gently between your palms.
Put the mixture into a sifter and sift into the center of the ring.
Flatten out the mixture so it sits level in the ring.
Yellow layer:
Place 1 cup of rice flour in a medium sized bowl. Add a pinch of salt and 2 tbs sugar.
Put 1tbs lemon juice, 1 tbs water, and 1 drop of yellow liquid food coloring into a small bowl and mix well.
Add the yellow water to the rice cake mixture and mix it all up. Press out any wet lumps by rubbing the lumps gently between your palms.
Put the mixture into a sifter and sift into the center of the ring.
Flatten out the mixture so it sits level in the ring.
Pink layer:
Place 1 cup of rice flour in a medium sized bowl. Add a pinch of salt and 2 tbs sugar.
Put 2 tbs water and 1 drop of hot pink (fuchsia) liquid food coloring into a small bowl and mix well.
Add the pink water to the rice cake mixture and mix it all up. Press out any wet lumps by rubbing the lumps gently between your palms.
Put the mixture into a sifter and sift into the center of the ring.
Flatten out the mixture so it sits level in the ring.
White layer (the top layer):
Place 1 cup of rice flour in a medium sized bowl. Add a pinch of salt, 2 tbs white sugar, and 4 ts water.
Mix it up and press out any wet lumps by rubbing the lumps gently between your palms.
Put the mixture into a sifter and sift into the center of the ring.
Flatten out the mixture so it sits level in the ring.
Now lets garnish!
On the top of the cake place 5 dried cranberries to make flower petals. Put a few pine nuts in the center.
Cut a dried apricot into a thin strip, and place it as a flower stem.
Finally, lets steam it:
Close the lid of the steamer and bring to a boil for 30 minutes over high heat.
Turn down the heat and simmer another 5 minutes.
Take out the rice cake and let it cool down. Serve with tea or coffee.
