Kuih Bahulu (Bake & Celebrate!)

Kuih Bahulu or Ji Dan Gao, is my family’s favourite during Chinese New Year! I actually started baking simple stuff during CNY before I started my creative chiffon journey. Today I have a date with some of my dear baking friends to share about our contributions to "Bake & Celebrate: Cookies and Treats", which is a cookbook compilation of various CNY cookies and cakes that has just been launched at all major bookstores.

The contributed Kuih Bahulu recipe was my 3rd try on the recipe. The feedback from family and friends is that it's moister and spongier on the inside, while retaining it's crispiness on the outside, so it's yummier than those sold in stores! I think it's due to the lower flour content I used in my recipe, which sort of follows my version of light chiffon cakes =p. So I'll like to share it with you.

Ingredients:

1 Large egg (80g)

30g Castor Sugar

1/2 tsp Vanilla extract

30g Plain flour

1/4 tsp Baking powder

Baking temperature 190°C. For 9+ min.

Key points to note: 

1) Before using the flour, it is useful to sift the flour and baking powder 2x, as well as toast this flour/baking powder mixture lightly in the oven before using it to fold in. For a very light, crispy outside.

2) Whisk large egg with castor sugar and vanilla extract till ribbon-stage, before folding in the flour with baking powder lightly with a hand whisk. 

Ribbon-stage: this is very important for a very nice spongey inside! 

Folding in flour lightly with hand whisk: also very important for yummy, spongey inside! Do not overfold with a electric mixer.

3)  A high temperature 190°C and short baking time is used. For a brown crispy outside and moist spongey inside. 

4) Lastly, it is very important to oil the moulds generously 2x, as well as preheat the moulds with the oil for the cakes not to stick, as the cakes stick easily.

As usual, being a little free-spirited in my baking, I have baked these in both traditional aluminion molds (from baking shops), as well as silicone molds and muffin pans. Yes they work and taste equally yummy!! Those from the bundt pans are very pretty especially!

The recipe with many other cookies and treats from other baking friends are in Bake & Celebrate (published with Marshall cavendish), available at all major bookstores. The book is retails at $14.90 and is a nice, small handy-size unlike my chiffon cake books. 

I've also made a book flip video on my Instagram stories for today. 

Wishing everyone 新年快乐 in advance! 

With lots of love,

Susanne