Nostalgic Vintage Cake (8 Inches)
I've made this many times and referred to various methods and recipes, but none satisfied me until now. This version is really easy to handle and almost guarantees success. As long as the egg whites are whipped properly, it won't fail. An 8-inch cake is never enough because it's truly fragrant and delicious! 😋 Of course, please don't blame me for issues that arise after modifying my recipe 😂. Even strictly following a recipe may encounter issues due to operational mistakes, let alone altering it. Generally, baking recipes are best not to be tampered with too much. Good luck, everyone, and I hope you can successfully make a delicious cake. Keep it up! 😁
Ingredients
Steps
Heat cooking oil in the microwave for 1 minute. Don't overheat it, as overly hot oil will cook the flour. This step is crucial. Many vintage cake recipes include this step, but heating on the stove often leads to overheating. Using a microwave provides more stable time and temperature!
Sift flour into the oil and stir using a zigzag motion to prevent the batter from becoming too elastic!
Zigzag stirring technique, commonly used in cake-making!
Separate egg yolks and whites. Chill the whites in the refrigerator. Add yolks and milk to the batter and continue using the zigzag technique to mix well!
This is how the batter looks after mixing. Preheat the oven at this point: 120°C top heat and 130°C bottom heat for small ovens; 130°C for both top and bottom for large ovens. Use an oven thermometer placed inside the oven for accurate temperature monitoring, as oven dials can be misleading. Some ovens run very hot, while others are cooler than expected!
If using a removable-bottom mold, wrap the base of the mold with two layers of aluminum foil for a water bath. Ensure the foil is tightly sealed to keep water out. Line the mold with baking paper.
Whip egg whites. Start by breaking up the whites and adding the first portion of sugar. At this stage, the bubbles are known as 'fish-eye bubbles'!
The previous photo shows the mixer in action. This one shows the fish-eye bubble state at rest. Mastering something often requires great observation and practice!
Once the mixture shows finer streaks, add the second portion of sugar.
When there are no uneven bubbles left, add the third portion of sugar. Beat until the mixture has a pearly sheen and forms soft hooks when the beater is raised—this is the wet stiff-peak stage, and it's ready!
Add one-third of the whipped egg whites to the yolk batter and use a folding motion to combine evenly.
Pour the entire mixture back into the remaining egg whites and fold gently until completely blended.
Pour the batter into the mold and tap lightly to release surface air bubbles.
Place the mold into a baking tray filled halfway with water, then place it in the oven to bake. This is the water bath method.
Bake at 130°C for 60 minutes. Once out of the oven, lightly tap to release steam. Peel off aluminum foil after cooling, then demold the cake. No need to invert it! Adjust oven temperature as needed based on your oven's characteristics. My oven tends to run hot and browns easily, so the low, slow bake works best.
This is incredibly delicious, so good that it's hard to stop eating. It's also really easy to succeed with!