Vegan Chinese Radish Cake (Lo Bak Go)

Try our savory pan fried Vegan Chinese Radish Cake (also known as turnip cake, white carrot cake, Lo Bak Go in Cantonese (蘿蔔糕) or Luo Bo Gao (萝卜糕) in Mandarin) for a delicious dim sum treat. This appetizer is super crispy on the outside and has tender Chinese five spiced daikon radish and mushrooms on the inside. Pure Bliss!

Try it dipped in our special dipping sauce too. You can now make vegan Lo Bak Go at home with our comprehensive step by step instructions and video.

Jump to:

• Why is it Different?
• Crispy Outside – Tender Inside
• Ingredients
• How to Make
• How to Steam Dim Sum Without a Proper Steamer?
• Expert Tips
• Ratio of Ingredients
• Secret to a Tender Daikon Cake!
• Helpful Hints
• What to Serve with Dim Sum?
• Chinese New Year Celebration
• Frequent Asked Questions (FAQ's)
• More Vegan Chinese New Year Recipe Ideas
• Vegan Chinese Radish Cake

Why is it Different?

Unlike our traditional Chinese New Year Radish Cake made with Chinese sausage and dried shrimp, our savory vegetarian turnip cake recipe is actually vegan and gluten-free. Trust us you will never miss the meat!

This savory daikon radish cake recipe is made with shredded Asian daikon radish, dried shiitake mushrooms, fresh herbs, special spices, and rice flour.  Then, the Lo Bak Go is steamed, sliced, and pan-fried to perfection.  Fantastic appetizer for a Chinese dinner, yum cha (dim sum) or as a part of our 10 Fun and Easy Chinese New Year Recipes.

Crispy Outside – Tender Inside

When you read the word "cake", did you think we were making a sweet dessert? That’s a common mistake. Daikon cake is savory- NOT sweet. The reason it is referred to as a cake as it has rice flour and steamed like many Asian desserts.

Our Vegan Radish Cake is simply dreamy to bite into. First, the little crispy bits on the ends catch your senses and then once you take a bite the inside it is soft and tender.

The daikon radish mellows once it is cooked and combined with the mushrooms, herbs, and spices.  The pan fried radish dim sum is savory, earthy from the mushrooms, a little spicy from the white pepper and aromatic from daikon, green onions and 5 spice powder. When all the umami flavors and textures unite it is a memorable bite.

Well don’t take our word for it, give this vegan dim sum treat a try yourself and impress all your guests this Chinese New Year. Dip it in a simple sauce of soy sauce, garlic, dash of Chinese black Chinkiang vinegar and a little ginger for a little bite of heaven.

Ingredients

Daikon Radish

This Asian radish is known by many names.  Examples include Lo Bak Go in Cantonese (蘿蔔糕) or Luo Bo Gao (萝卜糕) in Mandarin.  Also called Winter Radishes, White Radish, Oil Seed, Asian Radish, Mooli and Icicle Radish.  Whatever then name, it’s an Asian white mild crisp winter radish that sweetens and mellow when cooked. Did you know that the word “Daikon” is the Japanese word for “big root”?

Daikon radishes are slightly sweet and slightly spicy. They look like a fat long white carrot. In addition, they are milder than the traditional red radishes that are used in salads. They also come in different shapes, sizes, and flavor profiles. However, most generally they are white and a little green near the stalk.

If you have extra radish leftover after making our recipe, be sure to try our Lemon Daikon Radish Refrigerator Pickle, Chinese Beef Noodle Soup Recipe or our Layered High Sesame Asian Salad.

There are many different types of daikon radishes

• Cantonese Lo Bak
• Miyashige White Daikon
• Alpine Radish
• KN-Bravo Daikon
• and many more…

The long green and white Lo Bak Go is traditionally used in Hong Kong to make Chinese radish cakes. However, we used a fat and stout Korean Alpine radish as they looked super fresh. Some may say that the longer and skinnier daikon have a stronger taste and the larger rounder daikon are a bit milder in taste. Any type of daikon can be used for this recipe.

Dried Shiitake Mushrooms

The dried mushrooms soaked in hot water. Make sure to keep the soaking water as you will use this in the daikon cake batter. You can also use fresh pan-fried mushrooms too.

Chinese Five Spice Powder

The Chinese blend is an essential ingredient made from 5 spices (cinnamon, anise, fennel, Sichuan peppercorns and cloves)

White Pepper

We love the little spice kick. You can also use black pepper to taste.

Vegetable Bouillon Powder

In order to keep this recipe vegetarian and vegan use a vegetable bouillon powder. You many also use mushroom bouillon powder or the vegetable or mushroom “paste” bouillons. The reason we do not use soy sauce or liquid additives to flavor the vegan Chinese radish cake is the added liquid can change the consistency of the cake. We will talk more about that in the recipe below.

Plain Rice Flour

This is rice that has been finely ground into some flour. Please, DO NOT use “glutinous rice flour – also sometimes called sweet rice flour” that we use to make our Sweet Sticky Rice Chinese New Year Cake. These are two completely different types of flours with completely different recipe results.

Cornstarch

This dry ingredient along with the rice flour gives this cake a very tender interior. You may also use potato starch in a pinch.

Aromatics

Spring onion and garlic give it that delicious taste and pop of color. You can also add caramelized onions to this recipe if desired.

Sugar

Just a pinch to take the edge off the daikon. You can also use a sugar alternative of choice. Every type of daikon radish has a little different bite and spice to it. If your daikon is mellow, you can add less sugar. However, if the daikon is strong, add a little more sugar to taste. 

How to Make

Just to let you know, this vegetarian and vegan Lo Bak Go recipe is a 2-day process.

It is VERY important that you let your steamed vegan Chinese radish cake chill overnight in the refrigerator, so it is easier to cut.

Soften Dried Shiitake Mushrooms

• Place dried shiitake mushrooms in a medium bowl.
• Add boiled water over mushrooms and leave soak for 15 to 30 minutes to soften.
• Reserve the mushroom liquid as you will use this later in the recipe.
• Remove the stem and discard or use in another recipe. Chop up the softened mushrooms and set aside.

Prepare the Daikon Radish

• Weigh daikon before peeling.
• Peel and grate. You can also julienne cut.

• Put daikon in pan or wok and add water.

• Cook until translucent and drain into a container for later use (reserve the liquid for later in recipe)

Sauté Mushroom Mixture

• Add a little oil to the pan and add the chopped mushrooms and sauté.

• Put in the garlic and continue to cook until aromatic.

• Add in green onions and season well with salt and white pepper to taste.
• Set aside and allow to cool.

Prepare Rice Flour and Cornstarch (Dry Mixture)

• Weigh and measure rice flour and cornstarch.
• Mix rice flour and cornstarch together and set aside.

Season Cooked Daikon

• In a large pot or wok, add cooked shredded daikon radish and Chinese five spice powder.

• Add in white pepper and sugar to taste.

• Next, add the vegetable bouillon or mushroom bouillon powder and stir to mix.

Assembly Process

• Gather the mushroom juice you reserved and the daikon juice you reserved and measure. If the 2 liquid ingredients together do not equal 2 cups, add a little extra water to make 2 cups of wet ingredients.
• Place your daikon and mushroom juice (wet ingredients), cooled mushroom mixture, rice flour and cornstarch (dry mixture) near your stove top so you are ready to go.
• Place your stove top heat level to low.
• Add a tablespoon or two of the dry mixture along with a little bit (approx. ¼ cup) of the wet mixture at a time and stir well.

• Do NOT dump all the dry mixture and wet mixture together in the daikon. The goal is to create a smooth and perfect wet oatmeal consistency for the PERFECT vegan Chinese radish cake.
• Adding a little bit of the dry and a little bit of the wet at a time prevents lumps. More importantly, it prevents your turnip cake from being too wet or too dry.
• This is the exact method that was taught to us by the Hong Kong Culinary Academy. It is a tried-and-true method. This little at a time method is superior to mixing all the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients first hoping and praying that it works. 
• In addition, this process solves any differences in the moisture level of the cooked radish or environmental issues like extra humid or very dry weather.
• Once you have added all the dry mixture and enough of the wet mixture, so it looks like a thick oatmeal texture, add the mushroom mixture to the daikon mixture and stir well.

• First things first! Before doing anything else, determine which size or shape pan (we will call this your ‘Cake Pan’) is going to fit inside your steaming device. If you do not have a steamer device, no worries. Check out or next section on how to create a makeshift steamer.
• Spray your cake pan with oil and line with parchment paper.
• Pour your prepared radish batter into the prepared cake pan.

Steam

• Place water inside of your steaming vessel. Put the steamer section that elevates the cake pan in. Then, place your filled cake pan on top. Place your lid on top. ( If you do not have any holes on your lid, crack the lid slightly so the top of the cake does not get wet. )
• Steam for about 55 minutes to 1 hour.
• Check for doneness with chopstick or toothpick. The toothpick should come out relatively clean after this amount of time. It not, steam longer.

• Allow to cool to room temperature and then cover it and place in refrigerator overnight.

Cutting and Storage

• With a butter knife, cut around the edge of the pan so it lifts out easily.
• Carefully, turn the pan upside down with the vegan cake facing down and the pan side facing upwards and tap the pan to release. Watch our video below for details.

• Remove the piece of parchment paper from the bottom of the cake.
• Have on hand a cup of water and a towel. After each slice of the cake, you are going to rinse your serrated knife with water and wipe with towel. This helps prevent the sticking. You can thank us later.
• If you used a round pan like us, cut the 4 round edges off first. Save the edges for the chef or immediate family as these will not be the perfect rectangular shape like the rest of the cake.

• Next, cut the vegan dim sum in long rectangular strips, and then again in half or really any way you want to. This recipe makes about 16 hearty slices.

• Leave out the pieces you will be frying to eat that day.
• You can freeze the steamed radish cake slices by wrapping in parchment paper and placing in a freezer safe bag or container for up to 2 months.

Pan Fry

• The final step is to pan fry. Oil your iron skillet well and place burner on a medium high heat. Sear on both sides for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown. (If you do not have an iron skillet that is okay. However, you get a better sear on this dim sum treat if you do)

• Serve hot with our special dipping sauce recipe below, sriracha sauce or our Homemade Sichuan Garlic Chili Oil.

How to Steam Dim Sum Without a Proper Steamer?

Our favorite way to steam is to use a big wide soup pot or Dutch Oven with a lid. Put an oven safe small bowl on the bottom of the pot upside down in the middle of the soup pan. Then, set the prepared pan just on top of the upside bowl. The savory Cantonese cake is heavy, so it will weigh down the small upside-down bowl.

Then, carefully add the water to the pan without getting any on the Chinese radish cake. Put the lid on the big soup pan over the cake and steam away.

Alternatively, you can cross two chopsticks in a wok with a lid and make the letter "X". Then, add water to your wok. Put a flat plate over the chopsticks and your Chinese Vegan Radish cake on top of plate.  Put on the lid on top of your wok and steam away.

Check out our recipe and video for our Asian Steamed Fish. We demonstrate different makeshift steaming options when you do not own a proper steaming vessel.

Expert Tips

1. How to choose a good daikon radish? Make sure the radish is firm and should not be easy to bend. It should look fresh and be crisp. Try to choose one that feels heavy for its size and is free on blemishes. If it still has leaves, they should be green. There should not be any signs of mold or feel slimy. If it does, the radish may have gone bad.
2. Get a scale and weigh your ingredients. Our cups and tablespoons are different than your cups and tablespoons. Some daikon radishes are denser and heavier than others.
3. If you like the texture of daikon, be sure to also julienne cut some along with grating the radish. We like to do a little of both.
4. Be sure to save the liquid from the soaking shiitake mushrooms. That is liquid gold and so tasty. If you forget and pitch it, don’t fret, you can use plain water in the cake batter.
5. Save the cooked daikon juice too! If you like the flavor of daikon, this will add in a little extra flavor. On the other hand, if you do not want an intense flavor from the daikon, use only the mushroom water from soaking or water to the cake batter.

Ratio of Ingredients

Here is the ratio of raw daikon to dry ingredients and wet ingredients.

For our recipe, we used 900 grams of daikon (before peeled) to 180 grams of rice flour- 55 grams of cornstarch to about 430 ml (little less than 2 cups) of liquid.  

This is the perfect ratio for a tender radish cake just like you get at the Chinese dim sum restaurants. However, your Lo Bak Go will be even better.  This recipe is different as it is packed with delicious daikon and less rice flour.

Secret to a Tender Daikon Cake!

Only add a little bit of the dry ingredients (rice flour and cornstarch) followed by a little of the wet ingredients (mushroom soaking liquid and cooked daikon juice) at a time to cooked and seasoned daikon. Be sure to stir well between each addition. Keep the stove top temperature set on a low heat. Just a little of each at a time.

You will add all the dry ingredients, but you may have to add less or more of the wet ingredients to end up with a mixture about the consistency of oatmeal. When you push the spatula along the bottom of your pan it should leave a line but go back in a slow motion when it is the correct consistency. (Please watch the video below to see this in action)

Helpful Hints

Did you know the average size of a daikon is about 900 grams (2.0 pounds) and about 10 to 15 cm in length? However, some breeds like the Alpine daikon (like we used for this recipe) can be HUGE. So, we used half of the radish for the recipe.

• If a square pan will fit in your steamer device, use that instead of a round one. The reason being is that it is much easier to slice into equal rectangular slices. We had to use a round pan as that is what we had on hand. Use what you have on hand is ALWAYS our motto.
• Cool your steamed radish cake overnight in the refrigerator to make it easier to cut into slices.
• Be sure to rinse your knife and wipe clean between each cut of the steamed cake. This prevents sticking.
• Don’t skip the step of pan searing the steamed Lo Bak Go before serving as it really makes for a delicious crust and tender interior. An iron skillet gives a good sear, but any ordinary frying pan will work too.
• Do not air fry the daikon cakes! They turn to mush. We have tested air frying already for you. It’s a NO GO!  

What to Serve with Dim Sum?

Traditional dim sum, like our vegan Chinese radish cake, is best served with a good Chinese tea. Some of our favorites are Jasmine, aged puerh or for a caffeine free herbal tea try our Tranquil Lemon Ginger Tea Recipe.

Cantonese Dim sum is usually served for brunch or early lunch time. It consists of serving many small plates of Chinese treats like our Homemade Chinese Dumplings, Hong Style Egg Tarts (Dan Tat) and Air Fryer Spring Rolls along with drinking tea.

Chinese New Year Celebration

The Chinese New Year (also known as Lunar New Year and Spring Festival) is China’s most important festival. Family members gather to celebrate the beginning of a new year on the Chinese calendar. 

The celebration is about 2 weeks in length and runs from the Chinese New Year eve to the lantern festival which is celebrated on the 15^th day of the year. During this time, family and friends celebrate together and wish good luck and prosperity in the new Year.

So, what do people do when they gather? You guessed it! They eat! Chinese radish cakes are often eaten during the Chinese New Year (CNY) as the radish cake characters look very similar to the saying “good luck”. If you want to learn more about the CNY Traditions, be sure to read our post on VRAI Magazine, Celebrate the Chinese New Year with Chinese Vegan Radish Cakes.

Frequent Asked Questions (FAQ's)

More Vegan Chinese New Year Recipe Ideas

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Kung Hei Fat Choy! Xin Nian Kuai Le! 新年快乐! (Happy Chinese New Year) -Wishing you much happiness, prosperity and longevity!