Ma Lai Gao (Chinese Steamed Sponge Cake)
Popular dim sum dessert in yum cha restaurants worldwide. It is especially prevalent in Hong Kong and Guangdong province in both yum cha restaurants and traditional tea houses. This brown cake is light, fluffy, moist and buttery with caramel toffee flavour from the coconut sugar and maple syrup.
- Prep time
- 20 min
- Cook time
- 50 min
- Yield
- 12 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
- vegan butter for greasing the cake pan
- 250 g gluten free self-raising flour
- 50 g corn starch
- 100 g coconut sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 4 large eggs
- 100 g vegan butter (melted)
- 1/4 cup rice milk
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- 1
Heat up the rice milk in small pot, add in the coconut sugar, vegan butter, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Mix and combine well until the coconut sugar has melted completely. Set aside to cool.
- 2
Sift and combine all the dry ingredients and mix well in a large bowl.
- 3
In another large bowl, beat eggs with a hand mixer or stand mixer on high speed until pale and fluffy.
- 4
Add in the rice milk mixture from step 1. Continue to whisk and mix on high speed until light and fluffy and the mixture looks creamy.
- 5
Then add in the mixed dry ingredients in step 2 gradually, 1/3 at a time. Whisk and combine well with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed. Once you have added all the mixed dry ingredients, whisk on high speed until you get a smooth texture.
- 6
Lightly grease the whole cake pan with some vegan butter.
- 7
Line the bottom and sides of the cake pan with baking paper. Lightly grease the baking paper with some vegan butter as well.
- 8
Pour the cake batter into the cake pan. Then tap the cake pan on the benchtop counter a few times to even the batter and remove large bubbles. Rest for 30 minutes.
- 9
Cover the cake pan with aluminium foil by making the top around 2 inches higher than the sides (Dome shape) and secure the sides to the cake pan. This is important to prevent cake batter from touching the foil when rising. And to avoid uneven cake surface from water vapour during steaming.
- 10
Heat up a large wok with a steaming rack and fill with 2/3 water and bring to a rolling boil. Ensure that there is enough water for the whole steaming process. You can also use a steamer pot as alternative to wok.
- 11
Place the cake pan on top of the steaming rack and cover with wok lid and steam on medium high heat for 50 minutes or until bamboo stick comes out clean.
- 12
Let the cake rest for 10 minutes before removing from cake pan. Slice into 12 pieces and serve. Best served hot or warm.
- 13
To reheat, place each cake slices into the microwave for 40 seconds. If cake has been in the refrigerator, heat up each cake slices for 1 minute in the microwave.