Learn how to make kuih bahulu that is slightly crisp on the outside and soft and spongy on the inside. Perfect as an afternoon tea snack or to celebrate the Chinese new year. The kuih bahulu is made without using the bahulu mould.
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