Egg Cake Chinese Old Fashioned Style

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Old Fashioned Chinese Egg Cake or Lao Shi Ji Dan Gao {老式鸡蛋糕} is a traditional sponge cake in China. It uses extraordinarily simple ingredients with the egg being the major ingredient. Therefore, the techniques of how you make it play a vital role. In this post, I am going to dive deep into those practical tips to ensure you have a fluffy and smooth egg cake every time!

Old Fashioned Chinese Egg Cake Story

I attended Shanghai Jiao Tong University {上海交大} in the late eighties/early nineties. At the time, SJTU just recently opened its Ming Hang {闵行} campus. Then it was a remote rural area compared to the bustling Xu Jia Hui {徐家汇} District main campus.

Nevertheless, to my pleasant surprise, the Ming Hang campus hired some talented chefs/cooks who could make so many varieties of yummy food including bakery.

The bakery shop was only less than a block from my dorm, which I frequented often. During each school break, I would buy a big bag of these egg cakes to bring home for my Mom and Grandma.

Their egg cake was cut into squares. As a result, I still like my mine in square shape. Needless to say, you can use the same batter to make any shape you prefer.

Unlocking the Secrets to a Fluffy and Smooth Ji Dao Jiao {鸡蛋糕} Egg Cake

I will dive deep into the optimal ratio among the ingredients, how to beat a perfect stable & fluffy egg white, and why you need to sift the flour twice. In addition, what is the correct sequence and techniques to add and mix the ingredients into the cake batter; Why do you need to add some water in the oven during the baking process? Last, but not least, remember to shake the baking pan to let off steam after removing it from the oven.

Tip No.1 is the Optimal Ratio of eggs, flour, milk, oil, and sugar

Chinese egg cake uses simple ingredients of eggs, homemade cake flour, milk, avocado oil, cane sugar, a tiny bit of salt, 1 tbsp white vinegar, and an optional 1 tbsp vanilla extract. White vinegar is for beating egg whites.

For 6 eggs, I use 120 g homemade organic cake flour, 70 g milk, 80 g avocado oil, and 70 g sugar.

Tip No.2 is to beat the egg white to a stable fluffy meringue

It is safe to say a stable fluffy meringue enables the foundation of a soft Egg Cake. The meringue needs to be explodingly substantial. They should look dewy snow-white, not watery, dull & small. So how to accomplish this?

I use a Stand Mixer which is a handy kitchen appliance that makes the beating process easier. You do the beating in three stages:

• Stage One – 2 minutes at medium-low speed, add 1/3 of sugar/salt at the end of this stage. The goal is to mix everything well and get ready for the serious work.
• Stage Two – 4 minutes at medium-high speed, add the remaining sugar/salt along the way. This is the serious beating stage, the meringue should look exploding, dewy, and stable.
• Stage Three – 2 minutes back to medium-low speed. This is to wind down and get rid of large bubbles formed during the high-speed beating process.

Remember to blend sugar and salt during this egg white beating process with meringue. It is a great way for the sugar and salt to break down into small particles and get evenly distributed.

Tip No.3 is to sift the cake flour twice

This makes a big difference in terms of airy flour, which is the key to a fluffy cake.

Tip No.4 is to mix cake batter using the correct sequence and techniques

It truly matters how you blend the cake batter. First, blend the majority of the cake flour with the warm oil into a batter. The second is to blend the egg yolks, warm milk, and the remaining flour. Blend the vanilla extract once you have all the flour in. The last is to blend the batter with the meringue. For each step of the blending, you will need to add a small portion of the ingredients at a time, making sure the batter is smooth along the way.

Since I used minimal oil for this recipe, therefore the oil itself is not enough to blend all the flour in. So I add about 70% of the flour to the oil first. Then I add egg yolks and milk to absorb the remaining flour. Keep in mind that the cake batter needs to be in a smooth fluid state all the time. Do not let it solidify.

Keep in mind that you need to work on the flour minimally for a refreshingly tasty cake. The more you work on the flour, it will become doughy and less spongy. Use a fold and then drag to draw a straight-line motion. Do not turn in circles.

1. Fold about 70% of the twice-sifted cake flour into the warm oil
2. Add two egg yolks and a small portion of warm milk at a time, along with some flour, use drag to draw a straight-line motion to blend using a silicone spatula until fully blended and smooth
3. Fold the meringue into the batter, a small portion at a time into the batter, until all in and smooth
4. Final Chinese Egg Cake Batter

Tip No.5 is to add a pan of water to the bottom of the oven during the baking

Maintaining the humidity level in the oven is the key to a smooth and moist cake.

Last is to shake off the steam and cool the cake upside down if possible

It is important not to open the oven during the baking process. I usually place a pan of water in the bottom beforehand. As soon as the cake is done, remove it from the oven. Shake the pan to release the steam and place it on a wired rack to cool. If possible, place the cake upside down on the wire to cool it down.

If possible, it is ideally to cool the cake upside down, but it is not critical, as long as you blend the batter evenly.