Taiwanese street food festival 台味食煮 - Day 4 - Savory steamed cake ： Zheng xian dan gao 蒸鹹蛋糕

October 23, 2013

Taiwanese street food festival 台味食煮 - Day 4 - Savory steamed cake ： Zheng xian dan gao 蒸鹹蛋糕

I have to confess that I am not the stereotype girl who lives on sweetness, such as chocolate, cookie or cakes. I don't even eat candy or rarely have soft drink since I was a child. Because the sweetness is kindda out of my league, baking is not my strong point.

Baking is a common "living skill" in Holland, everyone has their name on certain cake. I am encouraged by friends telling me baking is just about mixing the flour, sugar,eggs and butter, plus the flavor you want to have. If that is true, why not make one cake represent myself !! So, I've been thinking what kind of cake I should start with, the cake should satisfy my appetite also need to deliver Taiwanese spirits. I thought of a sweet-and-savory infusion - savory steamed cake

This cake is another street food you cannot miss in Taiwan.It is basically a squared steamed cake with pork ground, shallot with savory flavor. It might not sound as appealing as a double chocolate moist muffin for the people who first heard of it, yet it becomes very addicted at the moment you take the first bite. I would love to try the vegetarian version to cut down the calories but maintain the tasty elements as traditional ones. Also using cupcake liners to make it more "approachable" and "friendly" for new adventurers.

Since I do not have electric mixer nor baking-specific measurement at home, plus I am a beginner at baking, I've tried different recipes for several times to find the easiest way to make this cake without disappointment. Even I can have this warmy, deli steamed cake served for tea break abroad, it deserves you spending less-than-one-hour in the kitchen and lead you to have a taste of heaven.

Ingredients: (Serving 4 cupcakes)
For the savory shallot mixture

1. 1 onion, finely chopped
2. 4-5 shallot, finely chopped
3. 5-6 mushroom, finely chopped
4. 5-6 dry black mushroom, finely chopped
5. 3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
6. 1 1/2 Tsp fried onion, divided

7. 1Tsp soy sauce
8. 1Tsp sugar
9. 1tsp black pepper powder

For the batter
1. 2 eggs (room temperature)
2. 90 grams of wheat flour, sifted (4/5 cup*)
3. 80 grams of sugar (1/2 cup)
4. 15 grams of olive oil (1 Tsp)
* The cup I am using is the typical measurement for rice cooking machine sold in Taiwan, it contains 180 cc of water

Instructions:
1. Heat oil pan, put onion and shallot to stir fry until it becomes golden brown. Add garlic and black dry mushroom and cook until the aroma comes out.

2.Toss mushroom in the pan and get well-combined. Add soy sauce and sugar,mix thoroughly. Keep the high heat until all the ingredients are well-cooked.

3. Season black pepper powder and 1 Tsp fried onion, stir several times and remove from the heat. Set aside to cool down for later use.

4. Preheat some water in a pan until around 50 celsius degree. Put eggs and sugar in a big bowel, and soak the bowel into the preheated water while whisking. Remove from the pan when eggs and sugar are well-mixed.

5. Place four empty glass ramekins in the same pan, add water into pan until it come halfway up the side of the ramekins. Remove the ramekins, cover the lid and bring the water to a boil.
6. Beat the egg until increase in volume and pale in color. If you have a electric mixer on hand, beat at least 10 mins at hight speed.

7. Add olive oil and mix thoroughly. Slightly pour 1/3 flour on the egg mixture, gently mix the flour on the top and fold into mix. Repeat with remaining flour to make a smooth batter

8. Put cupcake liner into ramekin, pour 1/2 of batter into cupcake liner and add some savory shallot mixture made beforehand. Pour the remaining batter and sprinkle more shallot mixture and fried shallot on the top.

9. Gently place the ramekins in the pan and steam for 10 minutes with high heat until cooked. (check by inserting a skewer or a chopstick into the cake, it is done when it comes out clean without wet batter)