Steamed brown sugar and ginger Malay sponge cake
Dark brown sugar, ginger juice and eggs whisked with evaporated milk and self-raising flour, then steamed into a fluffy ma lai go — warming and not too sweet.
- 45 min
- Serves 4
- Steam
- Medium
Why it suits you: Yang-deficient people have cold hands and feet and a stomach that dislikes cold, and long hours in air conditioning and cold drinks at Minor Heat weaken spleen yang further. Brown sugar warms the middle, ginger warms the stomach and dispels cold, and with eggs and evaporated milk they steam into a warm cake. With a cup of hot tea it's a comforting afternoon treat, kinder than chilled desserts.
Method
Prep 15 min · Cook 30 min- 1Whisk the eggs and sugar for about 3 minutes until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is lightly foamy.
- 2Stir in the evaporated milk, ginger juice and oil, then sift in the flour and baking powder and fold gently until smooth. Leave to rest for 30 minutes.
- 3Line a steamer basket or deep tin with baking paper, pour in the batter and steam over boiling water on a high heat for 25–30 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean.
- 4Cool slightly, cut into wedges and eat warm, when it is at its fluffiest.
Cautions
- It isn't low in sugar, so have just a taste if you have diabetes; ease off the ginger with a sore throat or mouth ulcers.
Chef's tips
- Resting the batter for half an hour gives the classic open crumb; don't lift the lid while steaming or the cake may sink.
The TCM view
Brown sugar is sweet and warm, warming and tonifying the middle and dispelling cold; ginger is pungent and slightly warm, warming the middle and settling the stomach. Egg is sweet and neutral, nourishing yin and blood; evaporated milk tonifies and moistens; and wheat flour is sweet and warm, nourishing the heart and spleen. Warm and sweet together, it warms the spleen and stomach without drying — gentle warmth for air-conditioned summers.
