Recipes Bread + Dough Nian Gao 5.0 (1) 2 Reviews The traditional Chinese New Year's cake Nian Gao is usually steamed, but we worked out this baked version for the American cook. It's said that each piece you eat will improve your luck in the upcoming year. Slideshow: More Chinese Recipes By Evi Abeler Evi Abeler Instagram Website Evi Abeler is a New York City-based photographer and table-top director focusing on food & drink, still life, and lifestyle images. Evi's work showcases passion and flavor in every project. Her images focus on the natural beauty of food and objects, highlighting their inherent colors, textures, and craftsmanship.Expertise: food and drink photography, still life photography lifestyle photography.Experience: Growing up in rural Germany, Evi Abeler lived a farm-to-table experience. Her grandmother would wash muddy carrots, pluck feathers from freshly slaughtered chickens, and cook the game that her grandfather, an avid hunter, brought home. The rich smells from the stove are still a lovely memory for Evi. The gift of a camera at an early age sparked a new passion, which she explored further in high school, and which eventually brought her to New York City to earn a master's in fine art photography. Evi opened her own photography studio in 2010.Evi has worked with About.com, BakeSpaceTV, Brooklyn Foodworks, Food+Enterprise Conference, Freelancers' Union, Foodstand, Harlem Garage, Hot Bread Kitchen, In Good Company, Photoville, and more. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on May 10, 2016 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: © Evi Abeler Active Time: 30 mins Total Time: 1 hrs 30 mins Yield: 10 Ingredients 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for coating the baking dish 4 large eggs 1 pound sweet rice mochiko flour (about 3 cups) 3 cups whole milk 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar 1 teaspoon almond extract 1/4 teaspoon fine table salt 2 tablespoons toasted sweetened coconut 2 tablespoons toasted almond slices 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds Directions Preheat the oven to 325°. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan. Break the eggs in a large bowl, and lightly whisk. Add the flour, milk, sugar, melted butter, almond extract and salt. Whisk until the mixture is smooth. Pour the mixture into a 9-inch round cake pan and place in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven and sprinkle the toasted coconut, almond slices and sesame seeds on top. Continue to bake for about 25 minutes, until the cake is set and golden brown. Remove the cake from the pan, let it cool for 15 minutes before serving. Rate it Print