Gandzuki — Brown-Sugar Steamed Cake

Yield: 4–8 slices, not a fixed number of diners. Dissolve the sugar in the water over heat and let it cool. Sift together the flour, baking soda and baking powder.

Fold the cooled syrup into the dry ingredients just until no lumps remain. Pour into a round steaming tin and sprinkle with chopped walnuts and black sesame.

Place in an already steaming steamer lined with a damp cloth and steam over strong heat for about 30 minutes, until cooked through. Lift out carefully and cut into slices.