[tarteausucre]

I just had a slice of one those lovely Chinese layered sponge cakes with fresh cream and fruit. Does anyone have a decent recipe for this particular kind of sponge cake? The texture is so incredibly fine and light that I'm really curious to know how Chinese bakeries/pastry shops make them.

Do tell.

[Tepee]

The chinese gai dan go is steamed. I've used this recipe a number of times with great success. You have to beat the eggs till they want no more. When we were young and didn't have a cake mixer, the whole household took turns to whack the mixture with a spring beater. Fun. I use a wok to steam, and wrap the wok cover with a big towel to avoid the steam (which has condensed on the cover) dripping on the cake batter. To uncover, do it in a swift smooth action. HTH.

M'sians like to eat the cake filled with kaya (double-boiled egg custard flavored with pandan leaves) too.

[sanrensho]

I'm fairly sure that tarteausucre is not referring to a steamed cake. The steamed cake that I have had has a different texture from the sponge cake used in layered cakes made by Chinese bakeries.

[Tepee]

Sanresho, you may be confusing steamed layer cakes with 'cakes' made using rice flour. The gai dan go tastes exactly like a regular baked cake, except finer. IMHO, I doubt if there are any authentic chinese sponge cakes which are baked, since the oven doesn't feature (much or at all) in chinese cooking. However, I'm willing to be corrected, if wrong. Baked siu baos and dan tarts, perhaps, but not sponge cakes.

This post has been edited by Tepee: 19 July 2005 - 09:50 PM

[sanrensho]

Firstly, I should specify that the Chinese bakeries I am familiar with are typically Hong Kong-style bakeries that produce both traditional Chinese pastries as well as Western-style cakes/rolls and bread loaves.

Here's an example of the type of cakes that I buy from Chinese bakeries in our area (Vancouver, BC), which are layered sponge cakes filled with whipped cream and fruit:

http://www.annas.ca/Cakes.htm

If you click the link, you will see that they specifically mention "baking" their sponge cake, not steaming. Since these cakes are a lot like what the original poster described, I just assumed they were one and the same.

Maybe the OP can clarify which type of cake is being referred to.

This post has been edited by sanrensho: 19 July 2005 - 10:11 PM

[Tepee]

Thanks for the link. I'm hungry now.

Indeed, the recipe I linked can be baked too...but the texture will be slightly different. Not as 'soong' which loosely translated means light.

[sanrensho]

Incidentally, and completely off-topic, steamed sponge cake is extremely popular as a snack food in Japan (mushi cake), where it is often made into a type of steamed cheesecake. The texture of these cakes is outstanding.

http://tradepark.liv...iz/9a7f706f.JPG

This not so great photo shows the crumb.

[tarteausucre]

I was referring to baked sponge cakes that I buy in Vancouver that are usually decorated with fresh fruit and whipped cream. I phoned one of Vancouver's local Chinese bakeries (Michele's) and they assured me that they baked their cakes. The cake is extremely fine and light and seems particular to these type of Hong Kong style bakeries that meld East/West "baking" techniques. I don't know whether they use the steamed cake recipes and tweak them a bit in order to make them oven friendly.

I hope this post clarifies my initial question.

[Apicio]

Tarteausucre, if the sponge cake you tasted came from a bakery, it probably was made from either a commercial mix or a recipe that requires a commercial sponge cake stabilizer that you can only obtain from bakery suppliers in drum or bucket quantities. Commercial bakeries also use them for making sheet cakes for jelly-roll and for the honey sponge loaf sold in Korean and Japanese stores. Its almost impossible to duplicate it at home with conventional sponge cake methods.

[sanrensho]

Apicio, is this the type of product you are referring to?

http://www.rike-vita...ion/04cake.html

This post has been edited by sanrensho: 20 July 2005 - 12:54 PM

[Apicio]

Renshosan, that's the one!

[annachan]

tarteausucre, on Jul 19 2005, 08:54 AM, said:

I just had a slice of one those lovely Chinese layered sponge cakes with fresh cream and fruit.  Does anyone have a decent recipe for this particular kind of sponge cake?  The texture is so incredibly fine and light that I'm really curious to know how Chinese bakeries/pastry shops make them.

Do tell.

I have a sponge cake recipe that is similar (but not exactly) to the ones you get @ Chinese Bakeries.

1 cup Softasilk (cake flour)
1 cup sugar
6 eggs, separated
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup cold water
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 325.
Beat egg yolk and sugar till creamy. Stir in vanilla. Add flour and water alternately till mixed well.
In a spearate bowl, beat egg white till foamy. Add salt and cream of tartar. Beat until stiff peak.
Fold egg white into batter in batches.
Pour into ungreased angel food cake pan.
Bake until toothpick comes out clean, about 50 minutes.
Turn upside-down to cool.

Because there's no oil in the cake, it does stick to the pan. Just use a knife to careful go around the pan. It helps if you use a pan that has a removable bottom.

[NhumiSD]

sanrensho, on Jul 20 2005, 12:54 PM, said:

Apicio, is this the type of product you are referring to?

http://www.rike-vita...ion/04cake.html

Hi,

I know exactly what you are talking about. It is a light sponge cake, sometimes sold like little large cupcakes. It is also the base sponge cake for most cakes in these chinese bakeries.
I believe it is baked, I can see that it is golden brown all over, which steaming will not do. These sponge cakes I believe, are whole eggs, just whipped up for at least 10-15min. before the dry are added. I wouldnt be surprised if it uses baking powder along with the whipped eggs as a leavening.


-Nhumi

[Apicio]

Nhumi, if you check the link that sanrensho provided, it actually gives you the actual proportions for various products. You just scale all the ingredients, which are just whole eggs, flour, sugar and flavoring plus the all important emulsifyer and whip it until you produce this industructible foam. The honey loafs that I mentioned in my original reply turned out to be called Nagasaki Castella in Japan, an obvious reference to the Spanish christian missionaries of the seventeen and eighteenh centuries. You can make all sorts of things with this sponge, even lady fingers and madeleines. Look at how they murdered its spelling. In my shop, we tried using the best eggs we can lay our hands on as the flavour of the end product depends so much on it and of course the best flavourings too. We made pavés which were brushed with melted cultured butter and lightly sprinkled with sugar. Tasted like very light pound cakes.

[porkchop33]

tarteausucre, on Jul 20 2005, 01:54 AM, said:

I just had a slice of one those lovely Chinese layered sponge cakes with fresh cream and fruit.  Does anyone have a decent recipe for this particular kind of sponge cake?  The texture is so incredibly fine and light that I'm really curious to know how Chinese bakeries/pastry shops make them.

Do tell.

hi

may i know what the isit white and brown multi layer spong that you try?
each layer is very thin...seen like being layer then bake rather then layer up after baking .

or isit just normal looking yellow spong cake?
isit heavy or light? isit oily?

This post has been edited by porkchop33: 27 July 2005 - 05:21 AM

[wesza]

In Hong Kong the customary sponge cake are generally steamed to provide the light texture and softness needed for local style sponge cakes.

The majority are used for various fruit cream, custard mixtures but traditionally one of the most popular is for a Whipped Chestnut Cream as either a filling or topping. We always made these from scratch using Whole Chinese Chestnuts as the imported ones were expensive and didn't taste as good.

The same steamed method is also used in making the Honey Sponge and Nut Sponges served for Yum Cha everywhere.

These deserts were derived from the Portuguese both in Japan and China. It's important to be familiar that in Hong Kong the Chinese palette prefers the more traditional taste and character in what locally is a premium priced treat then the taste is always noticed when the emulsifiers are added to the formula.

The Sponge Recipes that are Baked are very light and buttery due to the fact that more egg white and some lard are added to the formula, plus the sponge is only baked until it sets then quickly taken out of the oven to cool. Parchment paper is always used to protect all exposed areas and sides of pans.

Irwin

[NhumiSD]

wesza, on Jul 28 2005, 08:07 PM, said:

In Hong Kong the customary sponge cake are generally steamed to provide the light texture and softness needed for local style sponge cakes.

The majority are used for various fruit cream, custard mixtures but traditionally one of the most popular is for a Whipped Chestnut Cream as either a filling or topping. We always made these from scratch using Whole Chinese Chestnuts as the imported ones were expensive and didn't taste as good.

The same steamed method is also used in making the Honey Sponge and Nut Sponges served for Yum Cha everywhere.

These deserts were derived from the Portuguese both in Japan and China. It's important to be familiar that in Hong Kong the Chinese palette prefers the more traditional taste and character in what locally is a premium priced treat then the taste is always noticed when the emulsifiers are added to the formula.

The Sponge Recipes that are Baked are very light and buttery due to the fact that more egg white and some lard are added to the formula, plus the sponge is only baked until it sets then quickly taken out of the oven to cool. Parchment paper is always used to protect all exposed areas and sides of pans.

Irwin

Hi Irwin,

Would you have the ratios of the ingredients for such a baked sponge cake that I can try? Some of these sponge cakes are baked like giant muffins like 3 inches deep X 2 inches wide, and baked in a liner.
Thanks.


-NhumiSD

[wesza]

NhumiSD:

The recipe provided by "Tepee" in the post that follows on this thread may be utilized as the Malaysian variations are almost the same as Hong Kong.

My only references are from larger restaurant/bakery uses where everything is much larger volumes then home use.

On my previous post I should have mentioned that Suet, or even a Solid Vegetable Oil [Refrigerated] may be used as well as Lard if required.

They are generally baked in metal Pans the size of commercial sheet pans with sides built up several inches. If Round Cakes, Sheet Cakes or any size sponge are required they are simply cut from the sheet, tart size, cake size or whatever required.

If there are layers needed this is done with a fine piano wire set up in a special frame that is used specifically for cutting layers in the sponge at different heights. They are available from many commercial sources in Japan as it's a standard item used by almost all Japanese Bakers. It may be available thru Honolulu or West Coast Suppliers.

There should be recipes on the Internet for the Japanese Sponge Variations they are more firm and lend themselves to heavier filling and can hold their shape for a long time as most cakes are retailed by the slice, I feel that they are better then most sold in average bakeries everywhere but generally use emulsifiers.

Please post your results as preparing a good sponge is something that most bakers would benefit learning about especially after tasting the difference.

Irwin


quote=Tepee,Jul 19 2005, 05:43 PM]
The chinese gai dan go is steamed. I've used this recipe a number of times with great success. You have to beat the eggs till they want no more. When we were young and didn't have a cake mixer, the whole household took turns to whack the mixture with a spring beater. Fun. I use a wok to steam, and wrap the wok cover with a big towel to avoid the steam (which has condensed on the cover) dripping on the cake batter. To uncover, do it in a swift smooth action. HTH.

M'sians like to eat the cake filled with kaya (double-boiled egg custard flavored with pandan leaves) too.

[/quote]