Nourishing Gelatin Cake 固元糕 (gù yuán gaō) originated from a Tang Dynasty medicinal delicacy formulated especially for women. I have greatly reduced the steps and two of the main medicinal ingredients to make a sweet treat that is suitable for everyone.
Yang Guifei, a famous Tang Dynasty imperial concumbine, invented the recipe. She is amongst the 4 famous ancient beauties in China. She had the most beautiful skin and hair. So, when people heard of her recipe, it spread like wildfire!
Yang Guifei originally made this as a thick soup with one of the main ingredients being 阿膠 (ē jiāo) or donkey-hide gelatin. In later years, the thick soup was made into a cake by adding more donkey-hide gelatin for easy consumption thereby getting the name, 阿膠糕 (donkey-hide gelatin cake). Gelatin is basically the cooked form of collagen which makes them pretty much the same.
Collagen supplements have been widely promoted for its health benefits in recent years. This has created a large demand for donkey-hide gelatin. It is an extremely popular ingredient in China amongst those who believe in its health and beauty benefits. I have never tasted it myself, but I have heard that it has a mild, pleasant yet distinct flavour. It’s generally sold at Chinese herbal stores, looks a bit like a chocolate bar and is on the pricy side. I used Knox gelatin powder to substitute the donkey hide gelatin to make it a bit more accessible for everyone.
I also omitted the yellow millet wine to make it child-friendly. However, you may substitute some of the water with a bit of wine to get the warming effects that this cake intended. But note that the alcohol will cause the gelatin to be softer so you may want to add a bit more gelatin to offset this effect.
The ingredients for Nourishing Gelatin Cake 固元糕 include red dates, black sesame, dried longan meat, walnuts, goji berries and brown sugar. Red dates are good for blood nourishing and strengthening reproductive system; black sesame for calcium and pigment for black hair; longan for restful sleep and healthy digestion; walnuts for strengthening brain, kidney and lung functions; brown sugar for energizing blood resulting in a healthy complexion; and goji berries for basically everything! Of course the gelatin is the glue that binds it all together. Gelatin itself may promote skin, joint, hair, nail and gut health. To top it all off, it’s very delicious!
My Nourishing Gelatin Cake 固元糕 will show you how to make this ancient delicacy with ease. This is a thoughtful treat to make for women and elderly people. You can use as much or as little sugar to cater to those who need to regulate sugar intake. I made some during Chinese New Year to gift to family and friends. Everybody loved them because it was something different, healthy and yummy!
Also check out my Snowflake Crisps 雪花酥. It's one of the top recipes on my website & also one of my favourite desserts!
Nourishing Gelatin Cake 固元糕
Ingredients
- 2 packets Knox gelatin powder (approx. 14g)
- 250 ml Water
- 80 g Brown sugar
- 80 g Shelled walnuts
peeled walnuts recommended - 100 g Black sesame seeds
- 80 g Dried pitted red dates
- 100 g Dried longan meat
- 30 g Dried goji berries
- ½ tsp Oil
Instructions
- Soak 100g of dried longan in cold water for 15 minutes soaking will help soften it. Drain and set aside
Do not soak for much longer than 20 minutes to retain as much flavour as possible - Toast peeled walnuts in a pan on low heat until they are completely dry. Set aside and let cool
- Toast black sesame seeds in a pan on low heat until you can smell the slightly sweet aroma and each sesame should have expanded slightly to a rounder shape. This will take approx. 5-8 minutes. Set aside and let cool.
You can skip this step if you bought roasted sesame seeds, however, lightly toasting it again can bring out more flavour - Rinse goji berries in cold water. They do not need to be soaked
- Toast longan with goji berries on low heat until most of the moisture has evaporated. Set aside and let cool
- Remove pits from red dates and set aside
I usually cut the meat off with kitchen shears - In a pot, add 250ml water and mix 2 packets of Knox gelatin powder into the water, stir well
- Add 80g brown sugar to the gelatin water. Cook until gelatin and water have dissolved and let cool
- Pour the cooled gelatin mixture through a sieve and into a mixing bowl, pan or pot
- Add the walnuts, black sesame seeds, red dates, longan and goji berries. Mix well
- Grease the container that you want the cake to be set in with ½ tsp oil. Use a small piece of kitchen towel or a brush to spread the oil evenly in the container
- Pour the entire contents into the container
- Cover with a lid or plastic wrap and set in the fridge for approx. 6 hours or until the cake has completely solidified
- Remove the cake from the container
You may need to use a knife to help loosen the sides - Slice into desired shape and serve. This cake can be stored in the fridge for a week. Can be served cold or at room temperature.
I seal and package each piece individually in food-grade wrappers which look nice and can help preserve them in the fridge for 3-4 weeks. I bought “machine seal biscuit bags” on AliExpress along with a mini impulse sealer.
Leave a Reply