Crispy Traditional Egg Cake
After diving into baking, I was obsessed with chiffon cakes and loved their soft and moist texture. However, my dad said he preferred the old-fashioned type of cake from before, which, while not as soft as chiffon, had a rich egg flavor and a dense texture. I made it once out of curiosity and discovered it really tasted just like the cake my mom used to bring back from the bakery when I was a kid. Since then, I've been making it for them often. Later, I shared it in our students' chat group and found that many people cherished this childhood snack, and older family members seemed to universally prefer this solid texture. So, let's teach everyone how to make it. Since there's no water involved, there's no need to prepare milk either. It's very simple to make at home. This recipe makes about 12-14 cakes depending on the size of the eggs, which are usually between 55-60g each (weight without the shell).
Ingredients
Steps
Weigh all the required ingredients; the crispy layer parts can be measured in a small bowl as shown in the bottom left. Use a large bowl for the eggs to maximize their whipping expansion, making mixing easier later. I eventually replaced the popular glass mixing bowl shown in pictures due to practicality.
Place all the crispy layer ingredients into a small bowl and stir with a brush until evenly mixed to the condition shown. 🤩 Use either a wool brush (recommended brand: San Neng) or a silicone brush.
This recipe makes 12-14 cakes. I used a 12-slot muffin mold; any leftover batter can go into sturdy cupcake liners. Evenly spread the crispy batter on the mold's bottom and sides. If you skip this, it will be hard to unmold, plus you'll miss the crispiness.
Add all the granulated sugar ❗️in one batch❗️ to the eggs and whisk at high speed for about 10 minutes.
When the egg mixture is dense and stable, and trails from the beaters fall slowly and disappear gradually, looking like writing that doesn't vanish right away, it's ready.
Sift the flour into the eggs and mix gently by folding. Stop mixing as soon as the dry flour particles are no longer visible. 🤩 Don't worry if it doesn't look super smooth yet; it'll get better after the next stage.
Now add the sunflower oil and continue mixing. 🤩 Remember to scrape the bowl's bottom to mix evenly, as oil might easily settle there. Although this recipe uses sunflower oil, you can also substitute corn oil or regular vegetable oil. After this step, the batter becomes much smoother.
Transfer the batter into a piping bag and snip a small cut about the width of your finger. Pipe into molds, filling about 90% full. I tend to fill it fully; it's fine, as traditional cakes are meant to have a mushroom cap top. No need to fret! Sprinkle a tiny bit of sesame seeds for garnish.
Bake at 150-155°C for 20-22 minutes, or until golden brown like in the picture. If your oven has inconsistent temperature, you may need to adjust the time or temperature accordingly.
The image is a screenshot from our live demo showing the unmolding step. Flip the mold over and tap it on the tabletop; the cakes should naturally fall out. That's the crispy layer doing its magic!