• ¼ cup (55 g) white sugar
• ½ teaspoon active dried yeast
• ¼ cup (60 ml) warm water
• ¼ cup (60 ml) coconut milk
• ¾ cup (125 g) rice flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon jasmine extract, rosewater or vanilla extract, or ¼ teaspoon pandan extract
• few drops of food colouring – optional
• brown sugar, for dipping

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the sugar and yeast into the warm water. Set aside until frothy, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the coconut milk and sift in the rice flour and baking powder. Whisk until you have a smooth, lump-free batter, then cover and let it sit on the counter in a warm place until doubled in size, at least 1 hour.

When the batter is ready, set a steamer basket over a saucepan of boiling water. Add the extract – and food colouring, if using – to the batter, and mix to incorporate.

Find six small heat-resistant teacups. (Waxed-paper mini-muffin cases will also work, but it’s best to double them up as they can go soggy in the steam.) Pour the batter into the cups and immediately sit them in the steamer basket. Place a tea towel between the steamer and its lid, stretching it taut and taking care to keep the ends away from the heat. This helps to soak up any condensation, so your cupcakes don’t get waterlogged.

Steam the cupcakes for 15 minutes – without lifting the lid, as this can cause them not to ‘smile’.

Serve warm, with a small bowl of brown sugar for dipping. These are best eaten fresh and shouldn’t be kept for longer than a day.