There are two fundamental ingredients: Te rice and lime water. The former, Te rice, must be white and pure, which means that it is not mixed with any other types of rice. To prepare the rice, it is ground and keep covered overnight to make it rise. The latter, lime water, can be made by pouring lime juice into water and stirring continuously for a few minutes. Next, the rice flour is poured into the transparent filtered lime water and then both are poured into a pot. After steaming, the dough can be used to create many different types of Duc cake. For example, the dough can be wrapped in banana leaves, or made into small, round, flat pieces. Interestingly, these pieces can be piled up to form a 9-storey tower.

During Tet holiday or family gatherings, the cakes are made with a more complicated recipe. People will add lean pork and fried Vietnamese onions to the boiling pot. Thus, when the dough is done, it will have onions and meat as well. In certain places, people also add peanuts to make the cake crunchier.

People in Viet Nam love eating Duc Cake with special local sauces such as Cay sauce, crab sauce, or soy sauce, etc. Letting the soft sticky cake melt in their mouth, they claim that they can feel the familiar taste of good Te rice, pork, and spices.