08. Malay Cake

I fell in love with this delicate dim sum treat about a year ago while traipsing through the city of Hong Kong. I was a new addition to somebody else's annual family vacation: roped in at the last minute to meet the boyfriend's maternal grandparents in Kowloon! They were so nice, but you can bet I was on my best behavior for 2 straight weeks and quite drained from the experience when we returned...

But, boy was it worth it! The Cantonese food in Hong Kong was seriously the best I'd ever had. Dim sum for 6 people only cost us $30 (total!) and you don't have to leave gratuities! I think we're planning to check out Toronto later this summer to see if they measure up. I've heard lots of good things about the Chinese food there.

Anyways, I digress. Let's talk about Malay Cake, or "mah lay gao" as we call it in Mandarin Chinese. I never liked this dessert as a kid. However, my tastes have been changing over the last few years. I now eagerly devour 2 tins of this cake by myself at dim sum, in addition to the shrimp dumplings, chicken feet, spare ribs, radish cake, BBQ pork buns... basically, all the other yumminess we order. I couldn't find any info on the history of this delicacy, but it has two distinguishing features as a cake: (1) it requires steaming, rather than baking, which gives it a light, sponge-y texture, and (2) it's meant to be eaten plain as it's simple flavor stands well on its own -- no frosting, no fruit, no frills. 

In my opinion, the sheer simplicity of this cake is what makes it so special. I spend a lot of time in the kitchen making complex, oven-baked cakes and they always require a little extra "oomph" to serve. This quick and easy recipe is a reminder that a few simple ingredients are really all it takes to make your taste buds super happy. It's also an excellent recipe on days that I feel I've been unproductive, culinary-wise, and need to churn out some sort of "baked" good to nibble on. Oh, and did I mention that it requires minimal clean-up? Extra points for Malay Cake!

Adapted from Passionate About Baking.

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"It's so fluffy [and yummy]! I'm gonna dieee!" - Agnes

Makes 12 - 16 servings

Malay Cake

4 tbsp. melted butter

1/2 cup evaporated milk

1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
4 eggs
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

• Preheat steamer so that water in the lower compartment is boiling. Combine melted butter, evaporated milk, and baking soda. Set aside to cool slightly. Thoroughly sift together flour and baking powder. Set aside. 
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and brown sugar until sugar is fully dissolved. Add vanilla extract. Pour in the butter and evaporated milk mixture. Whisk until combined. Finally, gradually mix in flour mixture until fully incorporated. 
• Pour batter into a pan, place in steamer, and let steam for 25 - 30 minutes. Cake is done when it springs back to the touch.