Traditional Chinese Steamed Egg Cake

(Imported post from my previous blog)

I used to go to the local pasar malam week after week just to buy this silly kuih/cake. You can get it at most places that sells malaysian kuih but believe me, no one makes it like the pasar malam aunty.

So far I haven't tried any that beats the one sold at the OUG pasar malam. I absolutely love the softness of it with its chewy texture, fragrant egg smell (Sexeh, you will love this too! lol), taste and most importantly the fact that its not diabetically sweet. Everything about it suits my tastebuds and I can never get enough. Nothing like old-fashioned comfort food at its best.. One of my favourite cakes of all time I might add.

Oh how I have longed and craved for this tasty, almost guilt-free (I said almost..) steamed egg cake on many cold and lonely nights in Dundee. I had to keep reminding myself: Just a few more weeks and I'll be back home in Malaysia stuffing my face with as many steamed egg cakes as I want.

Unfortunately however, I never made it to the pasar malam during my one week back in Kuala Lumpur due to my "hectic" schedule. (-.-) Now I'm in Kuching and I don't think there's anywhere that makes this cake the way I like it here. I've tried the one sold by the lady at the Petanak market and that just ain't gonna cut it. It's way too sweet and if you know me well enough, one of my mottos in life: SUGAR IS EVIL; yes it is. I have recently acquired the taste for ice lemon tea kosong and trust me, life does not get any more sour than that but I do enjoy it (or so I'd like to think) because it is completely guilt free!

Moving along, a couple of days ago I decided to take matters into my own hands as usual. I did a little bit of research online and came up with a little recipe of my own. My first attempt was quite unsuccessful. I poured the batter straight into the steaming pot which had a diameter of like 9 inches without realizing that there wasn't enough batter to cover the grounds (?) of the pot.. resulted in a flat cake... or rather "kompia" like what my mother called it -.- Also, I left the steamer on high heat for 30 minutes while I got carried away facebooking in my room. whoopsie daisie.

I tried again the next day and it was yummeh. Especially when it was hot straight out of the steamer. Freshly steamed egg cake. Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm :) What a familiar taste. I was a satisfied girl.

What you will need:

4 medium sized eggs

1/2 tsp baking powder

150gm all-purpose flour

100gm caster sugar

2 tsp milk

 

Method:

1. Line a steaming tray/baking tin with baking paper and set aside.

2. Sift flour and baking powder and set aside.

3. Whisk together sugar and eggs until fluffy and a creamy yellow colour is obtained.

4. Pour in half the portion of flour into the egg batter and mix well.

5. Pour in the other half and mix well.

6. Add in the milk and mix well.

7. Pour batter into the steaming tray/baking tin.

8. Steam at high heat for about 15 minutes.

9. Insert a toothpick into the cake and if it comes out clean, it is done!

Try it yourselves folks! Its really good :)

 

Some tips and tricks:

• Try to whisk the sugar and eggs for a longer time so that more air bubbles get trap in the batter. This will result in a fluffier cake.
• When mixing the flour into the egg batter, be careful to do it gently and stop as soon as the flour is incorporated into the mixture. Do not over mix the batter as this would release the air bubbles from the batter.
• Cover the steaming tray/baking tin with a lid to avoid steaming hot water dripping onto the surface of the cake making it reaaaal ugly.
• Most recipes called for the use of cake flour/superfine flour for this cake but I prefer using normal all-purpose flour cos I think thats what gives it its pasar malam texture.