The fluffy steamed sponge cake recipe is a heritage recipe from the Indonesian archipelago. Steamed cake is a traditional Indonesian cake with a puffy and cracked appearance. Its sweet and rich taste makes it a favorite among all groups. Especially during celebrations or special occasions, steamed cake is often a staple menu item.
Almost at various official events, steamed sponge cakes often appear as a dish for guests and family. Steamed sponge cakes usually come in many colors, including pink, yellow, brown, blue, green, and many others. Their vibrant and diverse colors look appealing and stimulate the appetite.
In addition, this steamed sponge cake recipe is also suitable for serving during major religious celebrations, such as Eid. It’s no wonder that, leading up to Eid, people in Indonesia often make sponge cakes at home. This adds warmth to family gatherings.
The recipe for steamed sponge cake is actually quite similar to regular sponge cake. Making steamed sponge cake doesn’t require a lot of equipment, it’s practical, and it’s not difficult for beginners. The taste and texture are equally delicious and soft, just like other sponge cake treats.
Typically, some people hesitate to make steamed sponge cake at home because they don’t want it to fail and turn out tough. Many don’t understand and follow the recipe properly during the making of steamed sponge cake. To get perfect and fluffy results, the process of making steamed sponge cake should be done carefully, without rushing.
Tips for Successful Fluffy Steamed Sponge Cake Recipe
- Choose Fresh Eggs
Select fresh medium-sized eggs. The balance of wet and dry ingredients is crucial. If there are too many eggs, the batter won’t thicken properly and won’t expand perfectly.
- Measure Sugar Accurately
The sugar measurement should be accurate, don’t reduce it for one egg’s size. Sugar in the steamed sponge cake recipe helps the eggs expand and become stable when mixed.
- How to Beat the Batter
Beat the eggs with sugar until it reaches the soft peak stage. This stage is sufficient for making fluffy steamed sponge cakes.
- Add Soda
This method is commonly used to make the sponge cake bloom perfectly. Adding soda to the steamed sponge cake batter helps the cake expand and gives it a spongy texture so it won’t be tough.
- Use the Right Mold
Use a steamed sponge cake mold that has holes on the sides and bottom. A mold with holes allows the batter to receive heat from all directions, ensuring it blooms perfectly. If using a holey mold, you’ll need special steamed sponge cake or cupcake baking paper.
- Steaming Process
Use a steamer lined with cotton cloth to prevent steam from dripping onto the sponge cake. Dripping steam can cause the steamed sponge cake to become tough.
Use medium to high heat to maximize the heat. Make sure there’s enough water in the steamer to ensure a continuous flow of steam during steaming.
The steamed sponge cake recipe below combines sweetness and an extremely soft texture in the mouth. You can try making this steamed sponge cake with just 1 egg, which will yield 5 medium-sized, fluffy, and light sponge cakes. Here’s the recipe:
Economical Fluffy Steamed Sponge Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- 100 g low-protein wheat flour
- 75 g granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp baking powder (SP)
- 50 ml soda water / sprite
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- Food coloring (optional)
Instructions
- Mix the egg and sugar, and beat until it’s fluffy, approximately 15 minutes.
- Sift the low-protein wheat flour into the mixture, add soda water, and gently fold with a spatula until well combined.
- Divide the batter into 2 portions, and add food coloring to each portion (if desired).
- Steam for 15 minutes in a preheated steamer. Cover the steamer with a cloth to prevent water from dripping.
