Old fashioned Ji Dan Gao (传统烘鸡蛋糕) Kuih Bahulu

I have two traditional moulds that i must use in this CNY after i bought them for several months. One is this Ji Dan Gao (kuih bahulu) and another one is Kuih Loyang. I have attempted them several times for these two kuih and finally i settled with the recipe that suit to our family preference. Today let's see my kuih bahulu 鸡蛋糕..

I bet everyone also know what are the ingredients needed for Kuih Bahulu, basically egg, flour and sugar.. I wanted my Ji Dan Gao that taste like in old time, like 阿嬤 time,  very basic sponge cake that full of egg aroma !

And i am great that basically my recipe has achieved what i wanted ! when i enjoyed my 1st kuih bahulu with a cup of coffee, i feel like want to cry, 太感动了! a very basic Ji Dan Gao that full of egg aroma, light but not too dry..

I have no Ah Mah (grandmother) since i was young, so i can only learn the tips from Jane's Ah Mah..One tip i learnt from her Ah Mah is to sun dry the flour to make it light and dry, as to get a sponge and light cake...i did not sun dry instead i toast flour in the oven, quick and less hassle..another option is to dry fry in a wok ...

I also remembered last time my aunties they added Kam Zui (fizzy drink or carbonated drinks in Hokkien dialet) when made Ji Dan Gao,  i guess last time hard to get baking powder...this time i use my childhood's favourite Kam Zui  "Kikapoo" ,hehehe..(F&N orange or Ice cream soda also work well) .. i also realized that add this softdrink into batter also help to lighten the batter a bit and makes it easy when mix in flour at the last step..

i know a perfect kuih bahulu is bake using the old-fashioned charcoal mould..but nowadays we choose to use this aluminium mould and bake in the oven..

the mould must be hot and greased so cake will not stick to the mould when removing them..

Next time i will try not to hold the mould using a baking pan, it should has nice golden brown crust but i just afraid it will be too hot to be handled.. 

it is easy to use bamboo skewer to prick cake and lift out from the mould

This recipe yield 5 x 12 =60pcs Ji Dan Gao and one mini cake like this..i only have one mould, so i have to bake 5 times..

Ya, i also saw a kuih bahulu recipe in a old flavour magazine, it required to heat up sugar but it did not explain why. After i google for the answer, and learnt that adding hot sugar is to make kuih bahulu shelf life longer which can easily keep for 1 month..I don't think my bahulu can keep for that long, because it was quickly gone just in a day ^_^..anyway, i still heat up sugar in this recipe, you may choose not to follow..

This recipe will not give you crispy kuih bahulu. When it hot from oven, it has crispy crust but it only last for 1-2 hrs..
And from my past experiences, use cold eggs straight from fridge give thick and stable batter..also make sure to beat for at least 20mins or more until very very stable and thick.

Old fashioned Ji Dan Gao (传统烘鸡蛋糕) Kuih Bahulu
(recipe source: learnt from Jane’s Ah Mah and flavours magazine, re-created by Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover)
*makes 60pcs + one mini loaf

5 eggs (large), cold from fridge
150g sugar
1/8tsp salt
170g plain flour or all purpose flour
3tbsp soda or fizzy drink

Cooking oil, for greasing

Method
1. Pre-heated oven to 180C. Put sugar in a shallow ovenproof dish and place in oven for 2mins or until sugar hot.
2. Add salt into eggs, beat over high speed (KA mixer at speed 8) in a mixer till fluffy (about 2-3mins).
3. Change to medium speed (KA mixer at speed 4), gradually add in hot sugar while beating. Continue to beat for 20mins until thick and pale. Beat over slow speed for another 3mins.
4. Put flour in a shallow ovenproof dish and place in the oven for 2mins, stir flour after bake 1min. Set aside to cool down, then sift flour on a clean paper.
5. Grease oil and heat Bahulu mould in the oven and set to 200C.
6. Add in fizzy drink. Then fold the two end of the paper, slowly pour flour over egg mixture and mix over low speed (KA mixer at speed 2) till combined and smooth. Do not over mix.
7. Remove Bahulu mould from the oven, spoon mixture into mould.
8. Bake for 14mins (no fan) at middle rack or until golden brown.
9. Remove mould from oven and put on wire rack, use a toothpick or bamboo skewer, prick cake with skewer and lift out. Cool on wire rack or bamboo basket. Store in air-tight container once cooled.
10. Grease warm mould again before use and put into oven to re-heat for another 2mins. Continue to bake until all mixture finished.
11. For slight crispy Bahulu, turn cakes onto tray and return to oven at 180C for 5mns. Cool on wire rack (optional).

 
Thanks to Angie sent me this CNY card, feel so nice to receive this hardcopy of CNY card, nowadays peoples only sending e-card included me, hahaha.. She is very busy selling CNY cookies now, wishing her 生意兴隆 ！

I am submitting this post to Chinese New Year Delights 2013 hosted by Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover