Kuih Bahulu (Mini Egg Sponge Cake/Asian Madeleines)
Servings: 30 pieces (depending on the size of the mould)
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.
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Ingredients
- 2 large eggs about 55 grams each with a shell
- 60 gr granulated sugar
- 60 gr cake flour
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- Small pinch of salt
- cooking oil to brush on the mould/cups
Instructions
Preheat the bahulu mould (or in my case cups and egg tart moulds):
- I don't have the special bahulu mould or madeleines pan, so I use the 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 with some cooking oil. Make sure you generously grease them with oil or they will get stuck to the mould
- Preheat oven at 400 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. I suggest not preheating too many at a time as the moulds need to be filled up quickly so they stay hot and your kuih bahulu won't stick to the mould
Prepare the cake batter:
- 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 cake flour and baking powder, and combine over low speed until just combined. Don't overmix. You can transfer the cake batter to a piping bag if you like as it's easier to fill up the mould that way. I just use a spoon to scoop
Fill up the mould:
- Take the preheated moulds out from the oven and carefully but quickly pipe in the cake batter or spoon or ice cream scoop to scoop the cake batter
Bake the cake:
- I recommend baking one tray at a time for best result. Bake the cake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. The time is just a reference, this depends on the size of the cake too. You may not need that long if your cake is smaller. Let them cool down on the pan for about 5 minutes and then use a skewer 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. I simply reheat them in my air fryer at 350 F for 3-5 minutes and it crisps up the crust again