Steamed egg cake is a popular snack among children and my grandma’s generation. It is light as a cloud, subtly sweet, and so gentle it never causes ” 上火 ” (heatiness). No baking powder, with a steamer and just five simple ingredients for the perfect teatime treat or breakfast cake! Traditionally, egg cake is baked, but I will introduce a healthier and moist version—steamed Ji Dan Gao.
If you are a returning visitor, you may have tried our baked Chinese egg cake. We will use the same batter recipe in the following, but we will use the steaming method to create a different texture.
It is an ideal breakfast served with congee or soy milk. We have a lovely brand selling this steamed egg cake, saying it is much better than the baked version. You can try both and figure out your way. The steamed version is moister, denser, and light in taste, while the baked version has a strong aroma but drier texture.
Steaming is a super popular Chinese cooking method. We love to steam almost everything, including chicken, vegetables, steamed egg cake, steamed rice cake, and the popular fa gao.
Recipe Note
- A super-thin container is the key to success because it ensures enough powder. I use the egg tart container, and it turns out perfectly. If you don’t have it, you can use a muffin tin, just like I did in the video.
- Cake flour is the ideal flour for a fluffier texture.
- If you want to cover the egg taste, add some vanilla extract.
Ingredients
- 4 middle size eggs ,room temperature eggs
- 120 g cake flour,1 US cup (sifted flour)
- 80 g castor sugar ,around 6 tbsp. +2 tsp.
- 1 tbsp. oil
- Two squeezes of fresh lemon juice, comparing with the baked version, the steamed version has a stronger egg taste.
How to make steamed egg cake
- Add eggs, sugar, and lemon juice to a mixing bowl. Whip at medium speed until light and fluffy and pale in color. Then, use a low speed to remove some of the large bubbles. This step is key to success, and it may take 12-15 minutes for the mixture to reach the ribbon stage.
- Shift flour in. Then, use a spatula to combine well.
- Add vegetable cooking oil during the mixing process. I transferred the batter to a cup so I can pour it easily.
- Use a thin egg tart container for my steamed egg cake because it ensures the best result. If you don’t have this, use a muffin tin and steam in a later steamer.
- Steam for around 15 minutes. Rest for a while and then enjoy.
How to Whip Eggs with Yolk
Since we are whipping whole eggs (yolks and whites together) for a sponge cake, the key is to trap maximum air while maintaining stability. Based on my tests, I have compiled the following tips.
1. Always use room-temperature eggs instead of chilled ones. Cold eggs don’t whip as well because the tighter proteins make it harder to incorporate air.
2. I recommend a warm water bath method on cold days. Warming the mixture (to about 40–43°C / 104–110°F) helps dissolve sugar faster and makes eggs whip up more voluminously. Whisk eggs + sugar in a bowl over simmering water (bain-marie) until lukewarm, then remove and whip. I love to do this on winter days.
3. Whip on high speed for longer so the air is well incorporated into the mixture. But slow down the speed at the end of the whipping process to remove larger bubbles.
4. Adding lemon juice can help speed up the process while removing the eggs’ odd taste.
How to reheat the egg cake
Because of the testing, I made around 2 batches this time. After saving in air-tight container for 1 night, I reheat the cake by re-steaming them for 2 minutes. Guess what? The reheated steamed egg cake test even better than the freshly steamed ones.
So one of the best reason why you should try this steamed version instead of baked one is it is much easier to reheat. You can even freeze them for longer time and re-steam to bring the softness and fluffy texture back.
Can I reduce the sugar
I know that many of you might have concerns about the amount of sugar, wondering whether you can reduce it or not. The answer to this question is “NO”.
Of course, you can use less sugar, but the egg odor is quite hard to cover. Another option is to add other stronger aroma ingredients, such as vanilla extract, in a relatively larger amount if you need to reduce the sugar.
About the steaming tool
I am using a non-stick small muffin tool, as it is extremely thin, and I have a large wok that can accommodate it. Ideal ways are thicker cupcake paper or egg tart container.
If you don’t have all of those recommended tools by hand, you can use lined small bowls.
- 4 middle size eggs ,room temperature eggs
- 120 g cake flour ,1 US cup (sifted flour)
- 80 g castor sugar ,around 6 tablespoons+2 teaspoon
- 1 tbsp. oil ,neutral oil without strong flavor
- warm water if in super cold days ,for speeding up the whipping process, not required in summer days.
- 2 squeezes of fresh lemon juice
Prepare a larger container and add half full warm water, then place your mixing bowl on the warm water. Add eggs and castor sugar. Whip at medium speed until light and fluffy. And then use low speed to remove some large bubbles. This step is the key of success and may take 12- 15 minutes until the mixture reach the ribbon stage.
Shift flour in. Then use a spatula to combine well. And lastly add oil and well combined too.
Add the batter to a muffin tin or cupcake tool.
Steam for 15 minutes after the water boils. Remold them when the egg cake is still warm, but not completely cooled down.
The Nutrition Facts are based on each single cake.
Calories: 45kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 10mg | Potassium: 15mg | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 40IU | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 0.2mg
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