Paper-wrapped Sponge Cake

My parents and I share a love for Chinese pastries. Any chance we get, we would stop at a Chinese bakery after a dim sum lunch to pick up pastries for our weekday morning snacks. At a Chinese bakery, you can purchase a plethora of savory, sweet, meat-filled or paste-filled buns, breads and tarts. If you've never been to one in your local Chinatown, I strongly suggest you find one! I guarantee you you will find a pastry that you will love. 

My mom and I share a favorite pastry - the sponge cake that is wrapped in paper - that is the literal translation of the pastry. Mom loves this pastry because of it's cake-like texture that isn't too sweet - yes, my mom doesn't like a lot of sweet things. Light and airy, this pastry is heaven and so much better than angel food cake and my mom would agree! To achieve this pastry, you need to bake them in tall paper cups that are lined with parchment paper. The height of these cakes help with the airy texture, so don't use your muffin tin.  This pastry is best when made fresh because the cake often dries out unless the sponge cake is kept wrapped with the paper. Try this with a cup of Hong Kong style tea!

This recipe is dedicated to my mom, in hopes she will try it someday.

The first trick to the paper cup and parchment paper is to cut a large enough sheet of parchment paper to be able to wrap the outer surface of the cup. This can be done by placing the paper in the middle of the paper and fold each corner of the paper into the cup. Then stack the paper/cup into another cup and pull out the inner cup so that the parchment paper is now inside the second cup.

Ok, so let's start baking!

Ingredients:

5 egg yolks
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

4 Tbsp melted butter
1/4 cup warm milk

3/4 cup cake flour
1/8 cup corn starch corn starch
1/2 tsp baking powder

5 egg whites
1/4 cup of granulated sugar

Method:

Preheat your oven at 350 degrees F. Mix flour, corn starch and baking powder together and mix with a whisk to make sure there are no clumps. 

Simmer water in a sauce pan and place a mixing bowl over the sauce pan. Beat egg yolks, sugar, salt and vanilla essence together till thick and creamy. 

Stir the warm corn oil/melted butter and milk into the yolk mixture. Mix well. Fold in the mixed flour/dry ingredients and mix well.

In a separate bowl, beat egg whites till white in color and add in sugar by thirds and beat till egg white is stiff. Some people say that if you can stand a spatula in the middle of the egg whites, then you've whipped it enough. 

See that spatula? It can stand!

Fold half portion of the egg white into egg yolk and blend well. Pour the yolk mixture into the remaining egg white and blend well.

Spoon batter into paper cups lined with baking paper up to 80% full and bake for 20 minutes or till golden brown. Make sure you carefully spoon the mixture into the cups. If not, the sides of the paper will burn and the sponge cakes won't look as nice. Sprinkle some slivers of almonds on top and place in the oven.

Bake and enjoy while hot! Yum