How To Make Chinese Soft Sponge Cake

Ma lai gao (馬拉糕) or Chinese steamed sponge cake is a dim sum and tea-time favourite. This cake is very moist and tender and with the perfect amount of sugar for a light, sugariness season.

Don't y'all just love it when a cake comes together perfectly? And in but a few unproblematic steps, you too can make this fragrant, moist, soft and fluffy, Chinese steamed sponge cake (ma lai gao – 馬拉糕).

Update: Since posting this, I've made an even fluffier, moist, tender and tastier ma lai gao. Check it out and see which you lot adopt. The sponge block method shared hither is quicker then if you lot're short on time, this would be prefect for yous.

Making this block was a spur of the moment decision today. I had been feeling a petty unwell the past couple of days, and had had way too much bed rest. I figured that I needed to be on my feet, doing something that would continue me busy and happy at the same fourth dimension.

What else, if non blistering? I was yearning for something soft, moist, and sweet. And after a quick rummage through my pantry, I decided that I had all the stuff I needed to make this steamed sponge cake.

Steamed sponge cake (ma lai gao – 馬拉糕) is a family favourite that we often have for breakfast or tea.

As children, we enjoyed this treat tremendously whenever we had dim sum at Chinese restaurants. This, as well as egg tarts and pan-fried pancakes filled with red bean paste were the highlights of the day.

Dorsum in the 24-hour interval, this was a luxury when cake treats were far and few in between. So tucking into a piece of ma lai gao ever brings back many happy memories for me. Only the kind of therapy I needed today!

Steamed sponge cakes are of a pale almond or light honey colour, due to the soft dark-brown saccharide content. This is a cake that tin can be fabricated at a moment'due south observe, as it needs just a scattering of ingredients.

It uses everyday items that y'all are likely to take stocked in your pantry or larder. Basically, it'due south a short listing – eggs, sugar, flour and oil.

Some recipes phone call for custard powder to be mixed into the batter. The batter is allowed to sit ('ferment') a couple of hours, preferably overnight, earlier steaming.

This manner, the ma lai gao will have a softer, finer and fluffier texture. Not to mention, it also develops a fuller flavour. This is considered the accurate style to make ma lai gao.

I decided on this recipe because it seemed very simple and quick to make. The kind of recipe that'southward right upward my alley. I'thousand so pleased and thrilled that this recipe yields a very soft, fluffy, moist and flavourful ma lai gao.

Of course, this result was after correcting previous faults from past blunders. Simply hey, I'm happy to count my losses if it helps you succeed!

I don't recollect my photography does plenty justice to the existent thing. Wish I could pass on a slice to you right now! I hope you can relish this too! This version already tastes so good that I can't wait to try my hand at making ma lai gao the authentic way, next. Practice look out for it in a time to come post!

All said, I retrieve I've finally got the nuts nailed down, afterward numerous trials and errors. Believe me, I've somehow managed to go wrong in so many ways with steamed cakes, and apparently with hardly any effort, simply having grown wiser (and a couple more than grey hairs in the process!), I'chiliad hoping the tips beneath will help you succeed.

1. Steaming Equipment.

It's very of import to use the appropriate steaming equipment.

Bamboo steamers are recommended, but as I don't have these, I volition focus the give-and-take here on using a standard block pan, and steaming in a two-vessel stainless steel steamer (the bottom vessel holds the water, while the summit has a perforated base and hat, to allow the steam to ascent from the bottom vessel towards the meridian).

Make sure you use a block pan (square or round is fine) that tin can sit down inside the top vessel, with sufficient room betwixt the sides of the vessel and the cake pan, and with at least one-2 inches of space between the steamer hat and the block pan. The steamer hat must exist able to fully sit down on the pot, without gaps.

two. Corporeality of Water and Water Level.

Fill the bottom vessel with as much water every bit possible (depending on the steaming fourth dimension required), leaving at to the lowest degree a 2-inch gap between the water level and the perforated base of the top vessel.

This volition minimise the demand to meridian up the water should the water evaporate too quickly. If you need to add more water, be sure to add humid hot water to ensure a consequent steaming temperature, and to minimise desperate fluctuations in air pressure.

3. Preparing and Filling the Cake Pan .

To prepare your cake pan, grease the base and sides of your cake pan, then line with greaseproof paper on the bottom and all around the sides.

Fill the block pan with batter not exceeding 2/3 of the pan's meridian, to allow room for the cake to rise. It helps to tap the block pan on the counter a few times, to eliminate large air pockets. Steam in batches, if your cake pan cannot accommodate all the batter at once.

4. Covering the Cake Pan.

In one case you've filled your cake pan with batter, gently lower the block pan into the height vessel of the steamer, and place a dry tea textile over the top, ensuring the cloth does not touch the batter.

This is important, as the tea textile will absorb droplets of condensation that grade under the surface of the lid, and thus, help prevent water wetting the surface of the cake, making information technology soggy.

Place the superlative vessel back on tiptop of the bottom vessel, and cover with the steamer chapeau. The water in the bottom vessel must already be gently boiling, earlier you place the top vessel (with the cake pan) on it.

five. Preparing the block batter.

Brand certain y'all take your ingredients at room temperature. Beat out the eggs and sugar till the mixture turns thick, and nearly triples in volume. This may take upwards to five to half dozen minutes at medium-loftier speed in an electrical mixer, so don't be tempted to rush through this stride.

The goal is to trap as much air every bit possible. When you innovate the flour-baking pulverisation mixture into the egg-carbohydrate mixture, beat at a lower speed, and stop in one case the flour has been well-incorporated (i.eastward. till at that place are no longer lumps of flour) – the batter should exist thick, but smooth.

Lastly, to introduce the oil, it is a good thought to scoop out near i/4 cup of the batter and mix information technology in with the oil, with a spatula by mitt, until well blended, and and so pouring it back into the remainder of the batter.

Finish upwardly folding the oil mixture into the batter by hand, and not in the mixer, until well incorporated.

That'due south information technology! Hope this paves the style for you to make your delicious steamed sponge cake!

Chinese Steamed Sponge Block (Ma Lai Gao – 馬拉糕) – Quick Method

A quick method recipe for this dim sum and tea-time favourite, delicious Chinese steamed sponge cake (ma lai gao). Makes one twenty-cm (viii-inch) square block.

Cook Fashion Prevent your screen from going dark

Prep Time 20 mins

Melt Time 35 mins

Total Time 55 mins

Course Cake Recipes

Cuisine Asian, Chinese

▢ v big eggs 56 – threescore g each
▢ 140 g caster sugar
▢ 140 g light dark-brown saccharide
▢ ¼ tsp salt
▢ 1 tsp vanilla extract
▢ ¼ tsp baking soda
▢ 120 g evaporated milk
▢ 260 g apparently flour
▢ ane tbsp baking powder
▢ lxxx g grapeseed oil or canola oil

Grease the base of operations and sides of an 20-cm (eight-inch) square block pan. Line the base of operations and sides with greaseproof newspaper.
Set the steamer. Bring water to a boil over high heat. Once humid, reduce heat to medium until water comes to a gentle eddy.
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk zipper, whip eggs, caster saccharide, brown sugar, and common salt, on high speed (speed four on my Kitchen Aid mixer). Whip until thickened and almost tripled in book, about 5 to half-dozen minutes.
Add together in vanilla extract, baking soda, and evaporated milk. Whip on medium speed (speed 3) until well mixed, nigh 30 seconds.
Sift in the plain flour and baking powder. Go on to whip on medium speed (speed 3) until well combined, about 30 seconds, or until there are no longer lumps of flour. The batter should be thick just smooth.
Lastly, add the oil. Fold into the batter by hand using a spatula, until well incorporated. (Read Recipe Notes below)
Cascade the batter into the prepared cake pan. Tap the cake pan gently, 2 to 3 times, on the counter-summit to eliminate big air pockets.
Identify into steamer (h2o must already be humid). Cover with a dry tea material. Place the steamer chapeau back on, and steam for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a bamboo skewer inserted into the eye of the cake emerges free of gummy batter. (Read Recipe Notes beneath)

Steaming Equipment . It's very important to use the advisable steaming equipment. Bamboo steamers are recommended, but as I don't accept these, I will focus the give-and-take hither on using a standard cake pan, and steaming in a two-vessel stainless steel steamer (the bottom vessel holds the water, while the summit vessel has a perforated base and lid, to permit the steam to rise from the bottom vessel towards the top). Make sure you use a cake pan (square or round is fine) that can sit inside the tiptop vessel, with sufficient room between the sides of the vessel and the block pan, and with at least i-2 inches of infinite between the steamer chapeau and the cake pan. The steamer chapeau must exist able to fully sit on the pot, without gaps.

Amount of Water and Water Level. Make full the bottom vessel with as much h2o as possible (depending on the steaming fourth dimension required), leaving at to the lowest degree a 2-inch gap between the water level and the perforated base of the meridian vessel. This will minimise the need to top up the h2o should the h2o evaporate too quickly. If yous need to add more water, be sure to add boiling hot water to ensure a consistent steaming temperature, and to minimise desperate fluctuations in air pressure.

Preparing and Filling the Cake Pan. To fix your block pan, grease the base and sides of your cake pan, then line with greaseproof paper on the bottom and all effectually the sides. Fill the cake pan with concoction not exceeding 2/three of the pan's summit, to allow room for the block to rise. It helps to tap the cake pan on the counter a few times, to eliminate big air pockets. Steam in batches, if your cake pan cannot accommodate all the concoction at one time.
Covering the Cake Pan. Once you've filled your block pan with batter, gently lower the block pan into the superlative vessel of the steamer, and place a dry tea cloth over the pinnacle, ensuring the material does not touch the batter. This is important, as the tea cloth will blot droplets of condensation that form under the surface of the lid, and thus, aid prevent water wetting the surface of the cake, making it soggy. Place the pinnacle vessel back on top of the lesser vessel, and encompass with the steamer hat. The h2o in the lesser vessel must already be gently boiling, earlier you place the height vessel (with the cake pan) on it.

Preparing the Cake Batter. Make sure yous take your ingredients at room temperature. Beat the eggs and sugar till the mixture turns thick, and almost triples in book. This may take up to v to half dozen minutes at medium-high speed in an electric mixer, so don't be tempted to rush through this stride. The goal is to trap as much air equally possible. When you innovate the flour-baking powder mixture into the egg-sugar mixture, beat at a lower speed, and stop once the flour has been well-incorporated (i.e. till in that location are no longer lumps of flour) – the batter should exist thick, but smoothen. Lastly, to introduce the oil, it is a practiced idea to scoop out about 1/4 loving cup of the batter and mix it in with the oil, with a spatula by manus, until well blended, and then pouring information technology back into the residual of the batter. Terminate upwards folding the oil mixture into the batter by paw, and not in the mixer, until well incorporated.

Serving: ane g Calories: 163 kcal Carbohydrates: 25 g Protein: 3 g Fat: 6 thou Saturated Fat: i m Polyunsaturated Fat: 4 k Cholesterol: 48 mg Sodium: 144 mg Carbohydrate: xv chiliad

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