nian gow - a chinese bean cake to celebrate the new year

(from about.com)

INGREDIENTS:
16 oz. Mochiko sweet rice flour (glutinous rice flour), plus a bit extra for sprinkling on the baking dish (mmv - i couldn't locate sweet rice flour, used white rice flour instead)
1 stick of butter or 3/4 cup of vegetable oil
3 eggs
2 1/2 cups milk
1 to 1 3/4 cup sugar--depending on if you like it sweeter (mmv - i only used 1 cup. because i use regular flour, i should have possibly upped the sugar amount)
1 Tb baking soda
One can of red azuki beans
PREPARATION:
Mix everything* but the beans with an electric mixer at medium speed for 2 minutes. Beat for 2 more minutes at high speed.Sprinkle Mochiko flour over a 9"x13" baking dish that has been oiled or sprayed with Pam.Spread half of the batter on the bottom of the baking pan Spread the red azuki beans (you can mix some batter into the beans if they are too thick to spread).Spread the other half of the batter over the red azuki beans. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes.Test for doneness by inserting a chopstick (this is Chinese New Year’s Cake after all)—if it comes out clean, it is done.Recipe by Frances Kai-Hwa Wang, Asian American Village contributing editor.
* mmv: i softened the butter in the microwave, but then adding the cold milk hardened it again. this made it a pain in the rear to mix. i suggest setting the milk out to bring it to room temp before adding it. maybe nuking it for 20-30 seconds would suffice?