Flower Cake
A while ago, I shared a recipe for rose jam with you all, so naturally, I couldn't miss out on flower cake, haha... The method is exactly the same as for salted egg yolk pastries, just replace the filling with rose filling. Ah, I absolutely adore the Beijing accent's distinctive added 'er' sounds, unfortunately, I can't quite pronounce it well, haha... Ahem, now let’s get down to business... A friendly tip: The rose jam here is homemade and much thicker than store-bought versions. If you're using store-bought rose jam, you may need to filter it, as store-bought versions often contain a lot of sugary juice. Without filtering the sugary juice, it's hard to knead the mixture into a ball, and you'll face leakage at the bottom during baking. Additionally, if you're using store-bought rose jam, you'll need to add more flour. Regarding flour substitutes, refer to Step 1. How to make rose jam: Click here to view: https://www.xiachufang.com/recipe/104715490/
Ingredients
Steps
To be able to knead the rose jam into a ball and reduce its sweetness, we'll need to add some flour-based ingredients. I tested three types: rice flour, cake flour, and glutinous rice flour. My personal favorite is rice flour for its texture, though cake flour is also good. Glutinous rice flour was not to my taste—it made the filling slightly elastic, like eating rose-flavored mochi, haha. Feel free to try them all and see which suits your taste. What I dislike, you might love!
I used homemade rose jam, which is drier and thicker. If you're using store-bought rose jam, filter it first, as it's often very sugary and juicy. Without filtering, it's impossible to knead it into a ball, and it will leak from the bottom during baking.
Pour the rose jam, flour, and corn oil into a bowl. (Omitting the corn oil is fine too, but adding it improves the taste slightly, giving the rose filling a smooth texture.) The filling should have a slightly flowing consistency, but if you omit the corn oil, it will be slightly firmer, so adjust to your preference.
Mix well.
Divide the mixture into 10 equal portions, roll into balls, and place them in the freezer for about an hour. Do not freeze them too hard. The mixture may be sticky; wipe your hands after rolling each ball to avoid stickiness.
Once the rose filling is ready, prepare the oil dough. Prepare all ingredients in advance. The amount of water is a guide only, as different flours absorb water differently. Adjust as needed: use less water in humid summers and slightly more in dry autumns and winters.
Mix 100g all-purpose flour, 35g lard, sugar, and water together. Stir well.
Knead into a smooth and elastic dough.
Alternately knead and slap the dough for a while. Repeating this process helps form gluten more quickly.
Once kneaded, cover with plastic wrap or a damp cloth and let rest for about 30 minutes. The dough will relax during this time, making it less likely to tear when rolled.
After resting, divide the oil dough into 10 equal portions, about 19g each.
Repeat the rolling, layering, and filling process carefully, following detailed step-by-step instructions.