• Home
  • RECIPE INDEX
  • EASY RECIPES
    • Easy Dinner
    • One-pot
    • Instant Pot
  • BY CUISINE
    • Asian Fusion
    • Chinese
    • Peranakan/Nyonya
    • CAMBODIA
    • LAOS
    • INDONESIAN
    • Indonesian Chinese
    • MALAYSIA
    • MYANMAR
    • SINGAPORE
    • Singapore Hawker Food
    • THAILAND
    • VIETNAM
  • BY COURSE
    • Breakfast
    • Dim Sum
    • Main Course
    • Soups/Stews
    • Salad
    • Sides
    • Condiments
    • Snacks
    • Desserts
  • INGREDIENTS
    • Rice & Grains
    • Noodles
    • Eggs
    • Tofu & Tempeh
    • Poultry
    • Red Meats
    • Pork
    • Seafood
  • SOURDOUGH
    • Sourdough Bread Recipes
    • Recipes Using Sourdough Discard
  • BREAD & BUNS
    • Steamed Buns
    • Bread with Yeast
    • No-Knead Bread
    • Quick Bread
  • CAKES/COOKIES/PASTRIES
    • Cakes
    • Chiffon Cakes
    • Sponge Cakes
    • Pastries
    • Cookies
    • Kue/Kueh
    • No-Bake Dessert
  • DIETARY
    • Gluten-free
    • Vegan
    • VEGETARIAN
    • CONFINEMENT
  • celebrate
    • Chinese New Year
    • Easter
    • Hari Raya
    • Dragon Boat Festival
    • Mooncake Festival
    • Thanksgiving
    • Winter Solstice
    • Christmas Cooking
    • Christmas Baking
What To Cook Today
  • ABOUT ME
    • CONTACT
  • Pantry
  • Shop
  • subscribe
  • Home
  • RECIPE INDEX
  • EASY RECIPES
    • Easy Dinner
    • One-pot
    • Instant Pot
  • BY CUISINE
    • Asian Fusion
    • Chinese
    • Peranakan/Nyonya
    • CAMBODIA
    • LAOS
    • INDONESIAN
    • Indonesian Chinese
    • MALAYSIA
    • MYANMAR
    • SINGAPORE
    • Singapore Hawker Food
    • THAILAND
    • VIETNAM
  • BY COURSE
    • Breakfast
    • Dim Sum
    • Main Course
    • Soups/Stews
    • Salad
    • Sides
    • Condiments
    • Snacks
    • Desserts
  • INGREDIENTS
    • Rice & Grains
    • Noodles
    • Eggs
    • Tofu & Tempeh
    • Poultry
    • Red Meats
    • Pork
    • Seafood
  • SOURDOUGH
    • Sourdough Bread Recipes
    • Recipes Using Sourdough Discard
  • BREAD & BUNS
    • Steamed Buns
    • Bread with Yeast
    • No-Knead Bread
    • Quick Bread
  • CAKES/COOKIES/PASTRIES
    • Cakes
    • Chiffon Cakes
    • Sponge Cakes
    • Pastries
    • Cookies
    • Kue/Kueh
    • No-Bake Dessert
  • DIETARY
    • Gluten-free
    • Vegan
    • VEGETARIAN
    • CONFINEMENT
  • celebrate
    • Chinese New Year
    • Easter
    • Hari Raya
    • Dragon Boat Festival
    • Mooncake Festival
    • Thanksgiving
    • Winter Solstice
    • Christmas Cooking
    • Christmas Baking
What To Cook Today
What To Cook Today
  • Home
  • ABOUT ME
    • CONTACT
  • SHOP
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • RECIPE INDEX
  • easy recipes
    • Easy Dinner
    • One-pot
    • Instant Pot
  • by course
    • Breakfast
    • Dim Sum
    • Main Course
    • Soups/Stews
    • Salad
    • Sides
    • Condiments
    • Snacks
    • Desserts
  • ingredients
    • Rice & Grains
    • Noodles
    • Eggs
    • Tofu & Tempeh
    • Poultry
    • Red Meats
    • Pork
    • Seafood
  • sourdough
    • Sourdough Bread Recipes
    • Recipes Using Sourdough Discard
  • bread & buns
    • Steamed Buns
    • Bread with Yeast
    • No-Knead Bread
    • Quick Bread
  • cakes/cookies/pastries
    • Cakes
    • Pastries
    • Chiffon Cakes
    • Sponge Cakes
    • Cookies
    • No-Bake Dessert
    • Kue/Kueh
  • dietary
    • Gluten-free
    • Vegan
    • VEGETARIAN
    • CONFINEMENT
  • celebrate
    • Chinese New Year
    • Easter
    • Hari Raya
    • Dragon Boat Festival
    • Mooncake Festival
    • Thanksgiving
    • Winter Solstice
    • Christmas Baking
    • Christmas Cooking

Kuih Bahulu (Asian Madeleines/ Malay Egg Sponge Cake)

written by Marvellina Updated: April 24, 2023
10.8K
PIN RECIPE COMMENTS VIEW RECIPE RECIPE VIDEO
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Learn how to make kuih bahulu (kue bolu kering) that is soft and spongy and not too sweet. Perfect as an afternoon tea snack or to celebrate the Chinese new year or raya. The kuih bahulu can be made without using the special bahulu mould.

Both hubby and the kids know by now that I love making chiffon cakes and sponge cakes. I’m not a cake with an icing person or any overly sweet and cake. I love the simplicity of the cake itself without much frostings, fondants, etc.
Kuih bahulu or what we call kue bolu kering or bolu klemben or bolu jadul in Indonesia, is one of my favorite mini egg sponge cakes. They are cute, delish, soft, and spongey.

What is kuih bahulu?

Kuih bahulu is Malay-style egg sponge cake made with simple ingredients like eggs, flour, sugar, and a leavening agent. There is no oil used in traditional bahulu recipe, other than to grease the mould. This recipe I’m sharing here uses a bit of oil and it makes a difference! I actually prefer it with some oil as the crumbs are tighter and fluffier. The texture is soft and spongy on the inside and slightly crusty on the outside, similar to those of French madeleines (hence the name Asian madeleines). Traditionally, the cake batter is baked in a special brass-mould with a decorative pattern over an open fire. In this modern-day, they are baked in the oven.

The recipe rundown

Taste: They are not too sweet with a nice eggy aroma
Texture: Crusty on the outside and soft and spongy inside. Traditional bahulu is more on the dry side, which is fine if you dunk it in a coffee, BUT, I prefer to have a moister crumb and this recipe does it
Level: medium

Crumb comparison

The kuih bahulu on the left had oil in the recipe and the one on the right did not. You can see softer and fluffier crumbs on the left. The cake doesn’t feel dry compared to the one on the right.

Kuih Bahulu (Asian Madeleines/ Malay Egg Sponge Cake)
Left: bahulu with oil. RIght: bahulu without oil

Ingredients

1. Eggs
I use large eggs, about 58-60 grams each with the shell
2. Sugar
I use granulated sugar. You can use caster sugar too. I do not recommend cutting down further on the sugar, as this is already being cut down. If you cut down too much, the kuih bahulu won’t have that crisp exterior on the outside
3. All-purpose flour
All-purpose flour has medium content gluten.
4. Cornstarch
Cornstarch (also known as corn flour in Singapore/Malaysia). In the U.S., corn starch and corn flour are totally different things. Cornstarch is a starch extracted from corn. Corn flour is obtained by grinding the whole corn kernels. You want to make sure you use the starch (whatever it is called where you are)
5. Baking powder
It helps to leaven the cake
6. Salt
A small pinch of salt brings the flavour out even more
7. Oil
Traditional kuih bahulu doesn’t use any oil, but by adding some oil, really contributes to softer and moist crumbs, unlike the traditional, which is dry

Kuih Bahulu (Asian Madeleines/ Malay Egg Sponge Cake)

How to make kuih bahulu without the bahulu mould

1. I don’t have the special bahulu mould, but I do have a madeleine pan and egg tart moulds and some little cups used to steam or bake muffin or huat kueh. Arrange these on top of a baking tray and brush generously (like really generous or the cake will stick to the mould) with some cooking oil

2. Preheat oven to 410 F (210 C) for a conventional oven. For a convection oven, preheat to 390 F (200 C) . When it reaches that temperature, put the baking tray on the middle rack and let them preheat for at least 15 minutes. This is very important so the cake won’t stick to the mould.


3. Beat egg and sugar over the high speed with a hand mixer or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment until they are pale, creamy, and thick (or they like to call it the ribbon stage). The volume should triple in size, in about 10 minutes (with my kitchen aid on speed 8) or 15 minutes with a hand mixer


5. Sift in the flour mixture, and use a spatula to swipe down from the side and fold over to combine. Repeat this motion until you don’t see any pockets of flour.

6. Then drizzle in the oil from the side of the bowl and use a spatula to swipe down and fold over motion again to combine.

6. Transfer the cake batter to a piping bag it’s easier to fill up the mould that way. Alternatively, you can use a spoon to scoop, which can be a bit messier.

7. Take the preheated moulds out from the oven and carefully but quickly pipe in the cake batter or use a spoon or ice cream scoop to scoop the cake batter into the mould. Fill them up about 3/4 full.

8. Use a toothpick to pop any large bubbles inside the batter. I bang the pan on the countertop 2-3 times to pop any large bubbles


9. I recommend baking one tray at a time for the best result. I place the baking sheet on 3rd rack from the top and bake the cake for 7 minutes in small cups like this. My madeleine mould is almost twice the capacity of these, so I baked it for 9-10 minutes. The time is just a reference, this depends on the size of the cake too.

8. Use a skewer or toothpick to pick up the cake from the mould to a cooling rack. Clean up the moulds if anything sticks to eat and then grease and preheat again before baking the next batch

Kuih bahulu gets stuck to the mould

-Make sure you generously grease the moulds or muffin cups (or whatever you use) with some oil, especially if the moulds are pretty new. If the problem persist, you can coat with some flour
-Preheat the moulds for at least 15 minutes
-When you take the moulds out to fill them up with cake batter, you may have taken too long and the moulds have lost most of the heat and the cake batter sticks to the pan
-Clean up the moulds if anything sticks to eat and then grease the pan/cups generously with oil and preheat again before baking the next batch

How to bake kuih bahulu without using special mould

These were kuih bahulu baked in egg tart shells and mini cups I used to steam huat kueh

Kuih Bahulu (Mini Egg Sponge Cake/Asian Madeleines)

How to store kuih bahulu

1. Let them cool down completely on a cooling rack
2. Transfer to an air-tight container and they can be kept for 2-3 days. The longer they sit, the drier they get

Kuih Bahulu (Asian Madeleines/ Malay Egg Sponge Cake)

Did you make this kuih bahulu recipe?

I love it when you guys snap a photo and tag to show me what you’ve made 🙂 Simply tag me @WhatToCookToday #WhatToCookToday on Instagram and I’ll be sure to stop by and take a peek for real!

This post was last published in January 2021 and has been updated with an improved recipe, techniques, and photos on January 16, 2023.

Kuih Bahulu (Mini Egg Sponge Cake/Asian Madeleines)

Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 10 minutes mins
Total Time 25 minutes mins
Servings 12 pieces (using madeleine pan)
Please rate the recipe if you have tried it!
REVIEW & RATE PRINT

Ingredients

  • 100 g eggs about 2 eggs
  • 60 g granulated sugar
  • 60 g all-purpose flour
  • 24 g cornstarch
  • ¼ tsp baking powder
  • Small pinch of salt
  • 36 g oil plus more to grease the pan/tin

Instructions
 

  • I don't recommend making a big batch. The cake batter may deflate if it sits for too long waiting for its turn being baked in the oven

Preheat the bahulu mould (or in my case cups and egg tart moulds):

  • I don’t have the special bahulu mould, but I do have madeleine pan and egg tart moulds and some little cups used to steam or bake muffin or huat kueh. Arrange these on top of a baking tray and brush generously (like really generous or the cake will stick to the mould) with some cooking oil
  • Preheat oven to 410 F (210 C) for conventional oven. For a convection oven, preheat to 390 F (200 C) . When it reaches that temperature, put the baking tray on the middle rack and let them preheat for at least 15 minutes. This is very important so the cake won’t stick to the mould.

Prepare the cake batter:

  • Combine all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and pinch of salt. Whisk to combine
  • Beat egg and sugar over a high speed with a hand mixer or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment until they are pale, creamy, and thick (or they like to call it ribbon stage). The volume should triple in size, about 10 minutes (with my kitchen aid on speed 8)
  • Sift in the flour mixture, and use a spatula to swipe down from the side and fold over to combine. Repeat this motion until you don't see any pockets of flour. Then drizzle in the oil from the side of the bowl and use a spatula to swipe down and fold over motion again to combine. Transfer the cake batter to a piping bags it's easier to fill up the mould that way. Alternatively, you can use a spoon to scoop, can be a bit messier

Fill up the mould:

  • Take the preheated moulds out from the oven and carefully but quickly pipe in the cake batter or use a spoon or ice cream scoop to scoop the cake batter, fill it up about 3/4 full
  • Use a toothpick to pop any large bubbles inside the batter. I bang the pan on the countertop 2-3 times to pop any large bubbles

Bake the cake:

  • I recommend baking one tray at a time for best result. I place the baking sheet 3rd rack from the top and bake the cake for 7 minutes in small cups like this. My madeleine mould is almost twice the capacity of these, so I baked them for 9-10 minutes.
  • If you prefer much crispier on the outside, you can add a minute or two, but be careful not to overbake. They dry up quickly. The time is just a reference, this depends on the size of the cake and your oven too
  • Use a skewer or toothpick to pick up the cake from the mould to a cooling rack
  • Clean up the moulds if anything sticks to eat and then grease and preheat again before baking the next batch

Cooling down:

  • The crust is crispy when they are still warm but they will soften as they cool down and that's normal.

Serving:

  • Kuih bahulu is best served on the same day they were made. Any leftover can be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. I do not recommend storing in the fridge as the cake dries out very quickly

RECOMMEDED TOOLS

Kitchen Aid Standmixer
digital kitchen scale
digital kitchen scale
Madeleine Mold Cake Pan
Madeleine Mold Cake Pan

*Nutrition facts are just estimates and calculated using online tools*

Nutrition Facts
Kuih Bahulu (Mini Egg Sponge Cake/Asian Madeleines)
Serving Size
 
1 serving (madeleine size)
Amount per Serving
Calories
84
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
4
g
6
%
Saturated Fat
 
0.5
g
3
%
Trans Fat
 
0.02
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
2
g
Cholesterol
 
31
mg
10
%
Sodium
 
41
mg
2
%
Potassium
 
17
mg
0
%
Carbohydrates
 
11
g
4
%
Fiber
 
0.2
g
1
%
Sugar
 
5
g
6
%
Protein
 
2
g
4
%
Vitamin A
 
45
IU
1
%
Calcium
 
10
mg
1
%
Iron
 
0.4
mg
2
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Did you make this recipe?Let me know how you like this recipe and consider rating it! Tag me @whattocooktoday I’d love to see your photos/videos on Instagram
previous post
Kuih Momo Sarawak/ Biskut Arab Susu (Snowball Cookies)
next post
Steamed Mi Ku Buns / 面龟 (Tortoise Steamed Buns)

4 comments

evs September 2, 2023 - 8:40 am

Do you think this recipe would work with just rice flour, 9r a GF mix, to sub in fir the AP flour?

Reply
Marvellina September 2, 2023 - 4:09 pm

Hi, I”m sorry that I can’t tell you for sure because I’ve never try it with just rice flour and or GF mix. Please let me know how it turns out if you do give it a try!

Reply
Angie January 26, 2023 - 8:37 am

Hi,

I would love to try making this. But the only thing that I have is a mini muffin silicon pan. Do I need to preheat or oil it first?

Thx for having good Indo recipes with ingredients that’d harder to get in western countries 👍😊

Reply
Marvellina January 26, 2023 - 3:56 pm

Hi Angie, the reason why we preheat the mold is to prevent sticking. With silicone mold, it’s less likely to stick, but I don’t have a silicone mold that I can try to bake this kuih bahulu. So, theoretically, you don’t need to preheat the silicone mold, but it won’t hurt to spray with some non-stick spray or a bit of oil just in case. The baking time you may have to experiment with it a bit. Silicone is a poor heat conductor, so you may need to bake about the same time or longer. You can insert a toothpick and it should come out clean. I hope this helps!

Reply

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Please feel free to ask questions here or leave your comments and ratings if you have tried the recipe! Your Email address will not be published!




Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Hello! I'm Marvellina!

I’m passionate about food—especially bold, comforting Asian flavors—and I love sharing approachable recipes and creative bakes with an Asian twist. So glad you’re here! LEARN MORE...

Our Favorites

  • How To Make Soft and Fluffy Pandan Chiffon Cake (Complete Guide)

  • How to Make Basic Asian Rice Porridge (Congee)

  • Zha Jiang Mian (炸酱面) (Chinese Fried Sauce Noodles)

  • Soft Fluffy Steamed Bao Buns Recipe (Baozi/Mantou)

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Youtube

©2025 - What To Cook Today. All Rights Reserved.
Privacy & Disclosure Policy


Back To Top
  • Home
  • ABOUT ME
    • CONTACT
  • SHOP
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • RECIPE INDEX
  • easy recipes
    • Easy Dinner
    • One-pot
    • Instant Pot
  • by course
    • Breakfast
    • Dim Sum
    • Main Course
    • Soups/Stews
    • Salad
    • Sides
    • Condiments
    • Snacks
    • Desserts
  • ingredients
    • Rice & Grains
    • Noodles
    • Eggs
    • Tofu & Tempeh
    • Poultry
    • Red Meats
    • Pork
    • Seafood
  • sourdough
    • Sourdough Bread Recipes
    • Recipes Using Sourdough Discard
  • bread & buns
    • Steamed Buns
    • Bread with Yeast
    • No-Knead Bread
    • Quick Bread
  • cakes/cookies/pastries
    • Cakes
    • Pastries
    • Chiffon Cakes
    • Sponge Cakes
    • Cookies
    • No-Bake Dessert
    • Kue/Kueh
  • dietary
    • Gluten-free
    • Vegan
    • VEGETARIAN
    • CONFINEMENT
  • celebrate
    • Chinese New Year
    • Easter
    • Hari Raya
    • Dragon Boat Festival
    • Mooncake Festival
    • Thanksgiving
    • Winter Solstice
    • Christmas Baking
    • Christmas Cooking

Let me know how you like the recipe and consider rating it!

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required