The Best and Easiest Ma Lai Gao 最好味及易做的馬拉糕

This is my third update of some of the older recipes/posts (the other two are: Pineapple Cake/Pastry, Turnip Cake). The old Ma Lai Gao recipe uses an aged dough, which takes a long time and a lot of patience. This new one is a lot simpler to make and does not require lye while the result is still soft and fluffy.

隨著鳳梨酥 及 羅蔔糕 食譜的更新，今次輪到馬拉糕了。舊的食譜 用麵種做，比較費時，這個新食譜比較簡單及不須加鹼水，也一樣鬆軟可口。





Recipe reference: 香港地道小食:麵食、糕點及特色小吃系列，中華廚藝學院

Ingredients to make an 8 inch cake:

112g cake flour 低筋麵粉
112g evaporated milk 花奶
3 large eggs 大蛋
112g sugar 糖
28g vegetable oil 菜油
3g instant yeast 酵母
20g custard powder 吉士粉
5g baking powder 泡打粉
8g whole milk powder 全脂奶粉
1/2 tsp vanilla extract 雲呢哪香油
1/2 tsp molasses 糖漿/糖蜜

1) In a mixing bowl, combine sugar and flour. Add yeast, baking powder, custard powder and milk powder. Whisk to mix.

2) Add evaporated milk, vanilla extract and the eggs. Whisk to combine.

3) Add molasses and oil. Whisk to make a smooth batter.

4) Pour the batter onto a parchment lined pan and let it ferment at a warm place (77-80F) for about 2 hours.

5) After two hours of fermentation, the batter should have visible little bubbles and risen. Steam for 25 minutes.

7) Insert a toothpick in the middle of the cake to make sure it is cook through. Remove from the steamer and let it cool down on a rack. Serve warm.

Note: 

1) Adjust the fermentation time if the room is colder or warmer than 77F, longer time if cooler and shorter time if warmer. The correct fermentation temperature is critical.

2) The addition of molasses is to provide a mild acidity to the batter so that the baking powder can make additional leavening power in addition to the yeast. It also helps to brown the cake.

1) 糖及低筋麵粉放大碗內，加入酵母、泡打粉、吉士粉及奶粉，攪勻。

2) 加入淡奶，攪勻。

3) 加蛋攪勻至蛋糊幼滑，無粉粒。

4) 加油、雲呢哪香油及糖漿，攪勻後倒入鋪了紙的糕盤，放溫暖處(77-80F)發酵兩小時。

5) 大火蒸廿五分鐘至熟。

注意事項：

1) 發酵的溫度很重要，是成敗的關鍵。

2) 加入糖漿/糖蜜主要是讓顏色深一點，及幫助蛋糕更鬆軟可口。