Traditional Hakka Red Peach Cakes (Ang Ku Kueh)

Traditional Hakka Red Peach Cakes (Ang Ku Kueh)

Made with natural red yeast rice powder and no artificial coloring, these Hakka Red Rice Cakes feature a soft, chewy wrapper and a smooth, lightly sweet mung bean filling. In this video, I'm sharing my mother's traditional recipe for Hakka Red Rice Cakes, also known as Red Peach Cakes or Ang Ku Kueh.

Hakka Red Rice Cakes (also known as Red Peach Cakes) are a traditional Hakka rice cake filled with celebration and blessings. They are commonly prepared for joyful occasions such as the birth of a child, birthdays, ancestor worship, and festive celebrations, symbolizing good fortune, peace, and prosperity.

This is the recipe my mother has made for many years. The dough is naturally colored with red yeast rice powder instead of artificial coloring, giving the cakes their beautiful festive red color. The filling is made with homemade traditional mung bean paste, creating a smooth texture with a delicate sweetness. One of my favorite things about this recipe is that the cakes stay soft and chewy even the next day, without becoming hard.


Watch step by step recipe video below:

Ingredients

 

Makes about 14 cakes


Filling

2 rice cups mung beans
2½ rice cups water*
150 g sugar, adjust to taste
3 tbsp cooking oil
⅛ tsp salt
*Use 2.2 rice cups of water for a fluffier filling with more distinct beans. Use 2.5 rice cups for a softer, smoother texture.

Dough


400 g glutinous rice flour (reserve 45 g for the starter dough)
80 g all purpose flour
30 g sugar
5 g red yeast rice powder
1 tbsp cooking oil
About 300 g water (reserve about 35 g for the starter dough)*
*Different brands of flour absorb water differently. Add the water gradually and adjust as needed until a soft dough forms.

Other

Banana leaves
Cooking oil

 

Preparations 

Filling

1. Wash the mung beans and soak for at least 4 hours, or overnight.




 

2. Drain well and transfer to the inner pot of a rice cooker. Add the water and cook using the regular rice setting. Once finished, leave on the Keep Warm setting for about 25 minutes.

3. Gently fluff the beans with a rice paddle using a cutting and folding motion.

4. Add the sugar, cooking oil, and salt. Stir until the sugar dissolves from the residual heat. Let cool completely.

5. Make 14 portions of filling (about 45 g each). Any extra filling can be frozen for later use.

 

Dough

1. Make the starter dough: Reserve 45 g of the glutinous rice flour. Mix it with about 35 g of water to form a small dough. Flatten slightly and cook in boiling water until it floats. Remove and set aside.




 

2. Combine the remaining glutinous rice flour, all purpose flour, sugar, and red yeast rice powder. Add the cooked starter dough.

3. Gradually add the remaining water, kneading well after each addition until all the dry flour is incorporated. Transfer to a work surface and continue kneading.

4. Add the cooking oil and knead until the dough is smooth, soft, and no longer sticky. Cover and let rest for about 15 minutes.

 

Fill and Shape

1. Divide the dough into 14 equal portions, about 60 g each. Roll into balls and keep covered to prevent drying.




 

2. Lightly oil your hands. Flatten each dough into a small bowl shape and wrap it around one portion of the mung bean filling. Press out any air pockets and seal tightly.

3. Shape each filled dough into a slightly elongated oval with a pointed top and rounded bottom. Do not flatten it into a round disc. This helps the dough completely fill the peach mold, creating a fuller peach shape with a well-defined tip.

4. Before molding, brush a thin, even layer of oil inside the mold.

5. Place the pointed end of the dough toward the tip of the peach mold. Using the palm of your hand, gently and evenly press from the center outward until the dough completely fills the mold, including the longevity character and decorative details.

6. Remove the mold, place the cake onto a lightly oiled banana leaf, gently release it, and trim the banana leaf if needed.

 

Steam & Serve

1. Bring the steamer water to a full boil. Place the cakes in the steamer and steam over medium heat for 5 minutes.




 

2. Open the lid briefly to release the steam and let the heat escape. Cover again and continue steaming for another 5 minutes.

Cooking Tip

Opening the lid halfway through steaming releases excess steam and prevents the dough from expanding too much. It also helps the peach shape and the "Longevity" (壽) character remain crisp, clear, and well-defined after steaming.

3. While still hot, brush a thin layer of cooking oil over the surface. This helps prevent the dough from drying or cracking and gives the cakes a beautiful shine.

 

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