Turnip Cake (Lo Bak Go)
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Turnip cake (蘿蔔糕, lòh baahk gōu — 'lo bak go') is a savory Cantonese dim sum and Lunar New Year classic made from grated daikon radish (often mistranslated as 'turnip') bound with rice flour and studded with savory bits of Chinese sausage (lap cheong), dried shrimp, and dried shiitake mushroom. It's steamed in a pan into a soft, sliceable cake, then chilled and pan-fried into golden squares that are crisp outside and tender-creamy inside. The keys are cooking the grated radish down first so its moisture and sweetness concentrate, using the right ratio of rice flour to radish so the cake sets but stays soft (not gummy or hard), and chilling the steamed cake fully before slicing and frying so it holds together and crisps. Serve the pan-fried slices hot with a little soy sauce, oyster sauce, or chili sauce. It's especially eaten at Chinese New Year, when 'go' (cake) is a homophone for rising prosperity.
Why you'll love this turnip cake (lo bak go)
- The dim sum cart classic — soft, savory radish cake with crispy pan-fried edges.
- Studded with Chinese sausage, dried shrimp, and shiitake for deep umami in every bite.
- A make-ahead treasure: steam the cake, then fry slices fresh whenever you want them.
- A traditional, auspicious Lunar New Year dish you can make at home.
Ingredients
Savory mix-ins
- 2 links Chinese sausage (lap cheong), finely dicedsubstitutes →
- 3 tbsp dried shrimp, soaked and choppedsubstitutes →
- 4 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked and dicedsubstitutes →
- 2 scallions, choppedsubstitutes →
Cake
- 2 lb daikon radish, peeled and grated (about 6 cups)
- 1 cup water, plus the mushroom soaking liquid
- 1½ cups rice flour
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp white peppersubstitutes →
- 2 tbsp neutral oil, plus more for pan-frying
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Equipment
- Steamer + 8-inch cake pan or loaf pan — To steam the cake; oil it so the cake releases.(shop →)
- Box grater or food processor — To grate the daikon quickly.(shop →)
Instructions
Prep & sauté the mix-ins
Soak the dried shrimp and shiitake in warm water 20 minutes; save the mushroom liquid. Dice the soaked shrimp and mushrooms and the Chinese sausage. Sauté them in the oil until very fragrant, 3–4 minutes; set aside.
💡 Frying the sausage, shrimp, and mushrooms first blooms their flavor — this savory backbone is what makes good lo bak go.
Cook down the radish
Cook the radish: put the grated daikon and water in a pot, bring to a simmer, and cook 8–10 minutes until softened and translucent. The volume will shrink as the radish releases water and sweetens.
💡 Cooking the radish first concentrates its flavor and removes raw sharpness, and the warm radish helps the rice flour batter set evenly.
Make the batter
Whisk the rice flour, cornstarch, salt, sugar, and white pepper with 1 cup of cool water (use the mushroom liquid) until smooth. Pour the slurry into the warm radish off the heat, stirring fast — it will thicken into a loose, pourable batter. Fold in most of the sautéed mix-ins.
Steam & chill
Scrape the batter into an oiled pan, smooth the top, and scatter the reserved mix-ins and scallions on top. Steam over boiling water for 45–50 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool, then refrigerate until firm (a few hours or overnight).
💡 Chilling is essential — a warm cake is too soft to slice and fry. Cold, set cake slices cleanly and crisps beautifully.
Slice, pan-fry & serve
Slice the chilled cake into ½-inch slabs. Pan-fry in a little oil over medium-high until golden and crisp on both sides, 3–4 minutes per side. Serve hot with soy or oyster sauce.
Tips & notes
- It's daikon radish, not turnip — the English name is a long-standing mistranslation. Use firm, heavy daikon for the best sweetness.
- Cook the grated radish down first; it concentrates flavor and lets the batter set without a raw, watery taste.
- Get the rice-flour-to-radish ratio right: too much flour makes a hard, gummy cake; too little and it won't hold its shape. Cook the radish until reduced for the best balance.
- Chill the steamed cake fully before slicing and frying — warm cake falls apart and won't crisp.
- Make ahead: the steamed cake keeps several days refrigerated (or frozen); pan-fry slices fresh as you want them.
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Turnip Cake (Lo Bak Go)
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 1 hr
- Total
- 1 hr 25 min
- Serves
- 8
- Level
- Intermediate
Ingredients
- 2 links Chinese sausage (lap cheong), finely diced
- 3 tbsp dried shrimp, soaked and chopped
- 4 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked and diced
- 2 scallions, chopped
- 2 lb daikon radish, peeled and grated (about 6 cups)
- 1 cup water, plus the mushroom soaking liquid
- 1½ cups rice flour
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp white pepper
- 2 tbsp neutral oil, plus more for pan-frying
Instructions
- Soak the dried shrimp and shiitake in warm water 20 minutes; save the mushroom liquid. Dice the soaked shrimp and mushrooms and the Chinese sausage. Sauté them in the oil until very fragrant, 3–4 minutes; set aside.
- Cook the radish: put the grated daikon and water in a pot, bring to a simmer, and cook 8–10 minutes until softened and translucent. The volume will shrink as the radish releases water and sweetens.
- Whisk the rice flour, cornstarch, salt, sugar, and white pepper with 1 cup of cool water (use the mushroom liquid) until smooth. Pour the slurry into the warm radish off the heat, stirring fast — it will thicken into a loose, pourable batter. Fold in most of the sautéed mix-ins.
- Scrape the batter into an oiled pan, smooth the top, and scatter the reserved mix-ins and scallions on top. Steam over boiling water for 45–50 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool, then refrigerate until firm (a few hours or overnight).
- Slice the chilled cake into ½-inch slabs. Pan-fry in a little oil over medium-high until golden and crisp on both sides, 3–4 minutes per side. Serve hot with soy or oyster sauce.
Nutrition (est., per serving): 220 cal · 6 g protein · 32 g carbs · 8 g fat
Turnip Cake (Lo Bak Go) FAQ
What is turnip cake (lo bak go)?
Turnip cake (蘿蔔糕, lo bak go) is a savory Cantonese dim sum made from grated daikon radish bound with rice flour and studded with Chinese sausage, dried shrimp, and shiitake. It's steamed into a soft cake, then sliced and pan-fried until golden and crisp. Despite the name it's made with daikon radish, not turnip, and it's especially popular at Lunar New Year.
Is turnip cake made with turnip or radish?
Daikon radish, not turnip — 'turnip cake' is a long-standing mistranslation of 蘿蔔糕. Daikon is the long white radish; when cooked down it turns mild, sweet, and tender. Using actual turnip would give a different, more peppery flavor, so stick with daikon for authentic lo bak go.
Why is my turnip cake gummy or too hard?
It's the flour-to-radish ratio and moisture. Too much rice flour (or too little cooked-down radish) makes a hard, dense, gummy cake; too little flour and it won't set. Cook the grated radish until reduced and softened, and measure the rice flour carefully. A properly made cake is soft and sliceable, crisping only when pan-fried.
Can I make turnip cake ahead?
Yes — it's ideal make-ahead food. The steamed cake actually needs to chill fully before frying, and it keeps several days in the fridge or freezes well. Slice and pan-fry pieces fresh whenever you want them, so one steamed loaf gives you crispy turnip cake on demand for days. Re-steam frozen cake before frying.
Can I make a vegetarian turnip cake?
Yes. Skip the Chinese sausage and dried shrimp and lean on the shiitake mushrooms, adding extra mushrooms plus a little soy or mushroom seasoning for umami. Some cooks add dried wood ear or chopped peanuts for texture. The radish-and-rice-flour base is naturally vegetarian, so it's an easy adaptation.
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