Direct answer: Cantonese turnip cake stays tender and slices cleanly when grated daikon is cooked first, its liquid is measured, and rice flour is mixed into a thick batter before steaming. Steam until the center is firm, cool completely, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Pan-fry cold slices over medium heat for crisp edges without breaking.
Key takeaways
- Use Chinese daikon radish, not a small salad turnip.
- Weigh the radish after peeling for a reliable flour ratio.
- Count the radish cooking liquid as part of the batter water.
- Steam until the center is set, then cool before slicing.
- Chilled slices fry more cleanly than warm cake.
What is Cantonese turnip cake?
Cantonese turnip cake, called lo bak go, is a savory steamed radish and rice-flour cake. Despite its English name, it is made with daikon radish. Traditional versions often include Chinese sausage, dried shrimp, shiitake mushrooms and scallions.
The cake is first steamed as one solid slab. After cooling, it can be eaten soft or cut into pieces and pan-fried until crisp. The contrast between a browned surface and a tender, radish-rich center makes it a familiar dim sum and Lunar New Year dish.
Ingredients for one 8-inch/20-cm cake
- 2 pounds/900 g daikon radish, peeled weight
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 2 Chinese sausages, about 3 ounces/85 g, finely diced
- 1/4 cup/25 g dried shrimp, soaked 15 minutes and chopped
- 4 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked until soft and diced
- 2 scallions, finely sliced
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
- 1 1/2 cups/210 g rice flour, not glutinous rice flour
- 1/3 cup/45 g wheat starch or cornstarch
- Up to 1 cup/240 ml water, including measured radish liquid
- Neutral oil for the pan and frying
Preparation takes about 30 minutes, steaming takes 50 to 60 minutes, and chilling takes at least 4 hours.
Buy the correct rice flour
Choose ordinary white rice flour. Glutinous rice flour produces a sticky, stretchy texture rather than the firm-tender crumb needed here. Wheat starch makes the cake smoother and easier to slice; cornstarch is a practical substitute, though the texture may be slightly softer.
Step 1: prepare the pan and steamer
Lightly oil an 8-inch/20-cm round cake pan at least 2 inches/5 cm deep. Set up a covered wok or steamer that can hold the pan level. Add enough water for 60 minutes of steaming without touching the cake pan, and begin heating it.
Step 2: grate and cook the daikon
Coarsely grate two thirds of the peeled daikon and cut the remaining third into thin 1-inch/2.5-cm strips. The grated portion binds into the cake while the strips preserve recognizable radish texture.
Put the daikon in a wide pot with 1/2 cup/120 ml water. Cover and cook over medium heat for 8 minutes, then uncover and cook 4 to 6 minutes more until translucent and tender. Do not drain. Pour the mixture through a sieve set over a bowl, gently pressing to collect the cooking liquid.
Step 3: cook the savory additions
Heat 1 tablespoon neutral oil in the same pot over medium heat. Add Chinese sausage and cook for 2 minutes. Add dried shrimp and mushrooms; cook for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant. Stir in scallions for 20 seconds.
Return the cooked daikon and add sugar, salt, white pepper and soy sauce. Mix thoroughly, switch off the heat and let the mixture cool for 5 minutes.
Step 4: measure the liquid
Measure the reserved radish liquid, then add plain water to make 1 cup/240 ml total. Radishes vary in moisture, so this measurement prevents the batter from becoming unexpectedly loose.
Whisk rice flour and wheat starch in a large bowl. Gradually whisk in the measured liquid until smooth. The mixture should resemble a pourable pancake batter before it meets the hot radish.
Step 5: make a thick batter
Add the flour mixture to the warm daikon mixture in three additions, stirring constantly. Return the pot to low heat for 2 to 4 minutes and fold until the batter becomes very thick and a spoon leaves a clear path across the bottom.
Do not let it boil or form dry lumps. Pre-thickening suspends the fillings evenly and prevents the flour from separating during steaming.
Step 6: steam until set
Scrape the batter into the oiled pan and smooth the surface with a wet spatula. Place it in the steamer over actively boiling water, cover and steam over medium-high heat for 50 to 60 minutes.
Check the water after 30 minutes and add more boiling water if needed. The cake is ready when the center feels firm and a skewer comes out without wet white batter. A few moist radish crumbs are normal.
Step 7: cool before cutting
Remove the pan carefully and cool on a rack for 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Run a thin oiled knife around the edge and turn the cake onto a board.
Cut it into 1/2-inch/1.25-cm slices with a lightly oiled knife. Warm cake is fragile; chilling allows the starches to firm so slices hold together.
Step 8: pan-fry crisp slices
Heat 1 tablespoon neutral oil in a nonstick or well-seasoned skillet over medium heat. Add slices in one layer with space between them. Fry without moving for 3 to 4 minutes, then turn once and cook the second side for 3 minutes.
Serve hot with chili sauce, chili oil or a small amount of light soy sauce. Avoid very high heat, which can burn the outside before the center warms.
How to make vegetarian turnip cake
Omit sausage and dried shrimp. Increase dried shiitakes to 6 and add 1/2 cup/75 g finely diced water chestnuts or 2 tablespoons finely chopped preserved radish. Use gluten-free tamari if needed and replace wheat starch with cornstarch.
Cook mushrooms until their released moisture evaporates before adding daikon. Excess water is the main reason vegetarian cakes become soft.
Common mistakes
The cake is wet or gummy
There was too much liquid, the flour was glutinous rice flour, or the center was understeamed. Measure total liquid and verify the flour label.
The cake crumbles when sliced
It was cut warm or contains too little flour for the radish moisture. Chill fully and use the stated weights rather than cup measures for radish.
Fillings sink to the bottom
The batter was too thin before steaming. Stir over low heat until it holds the additions in suspension.
The outside sticks during frying
The pan was not preheated, the cake was wet on the surface, or it was turned too early. Pat slices dry and wait for a firm crust.
The cake tastes floury
It was not steamed long enough. Continue steaming until no wet white batter clings to a skewer.
Food safety and storage
Chinese sausage and dried shrimp are not necessarily ready to eat. Cook them as directed and steam the full cake thoroughly. Keep soaked mushrooms and shrimp refrigerated if preparing them in advance, and avoid cross-contamination.
Refrigerate the cooled cake within 2 hours and use within 3 to 4 days. Reheat fried slices until steaming throughout. Freeze individual chilled slices between parchment for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before frying.
Related lessons
The batter-thickening step uses the same starch-control logic as our cornstarch slurry guide. For another Cantonese dim sum project, practice warm starch dough with our har gow wrapper tutorial.
FAQ
Is turnip cake made from turnips?
English menus use “turnip cake,” but the principal vegetable is usually daikon radish, called lo bak in Cantonese.
Can I use fresh shrimp?
Dried shrimp supplies concentrated flavor with little water. Fresh shrimp changes both moisture and storage behavior, so it is not a direct one-for-one substitute.
Can I eat turnip cake without frying it?
Yes. The steamed cake is fully cooked. Frying is optional and adds a crisp surface.
Why must the cake chill overnight?
It does not strictly require overnight chilling, but at least 4 hours makes slicing and frying much more reliable.
Can I use a loaf pan?
Yes, if it fits level inside the steamer. A deeper batter layer may need extra steaming time, so check the center rather than relying only on the clock.
Conclusion
Turnip cake succeeds when daikon moisture is measured, the rice-flour batter is thickened before steaming, and the finished cake is fully chilled. Fry cold slices patiently over medium heat. Our homemade Chinese cooking courses demonstrate dim sum batters, steamer setup and clean pan-frying techniques visually.