Especially during the May Day period, many of my friends have not had an oven or rice cooker at home, but their love for cakes has not diminished. I received a lot of private messages from friends asking for help: "The equipment at home is limited, how can I make a simple and delicious cake?"
First of all, we need to identify the key part of making the cake – whipping the meringue. Don't worry even if you don't have an electric whisk at home, today I will teach you to DIY a simple whisk, it is effective, although it takes a little longer, but it is definitely worth trying.
Preparation
Let's start with a list of the ingredients you need: 120 grams of flour, 120 ml of milk, 60 grams of sugar (the amount of sugar can be increased or decreased according to taste), 60 grams of cooking oil (peanut oil, corn oil, soybean oil are acceptable), 5 eggs, and black sesame seeds and raisins for garnish.
Skillfully homemade whisk
If you don't have an electric whisk, please prepare a clean and moderately firm mineral water bottle, cut it about 3 cm from the bottom of the bottle upwards to remove the bottom part. Then, cut out a 1 cm wide strip with a length of about 3-5 cm at the open end in the direction of the bottle finish, which can be flexibly adjusted according to the size of your own egg white container. And voila, a simple manual whisk was born!
Separation and processing of egg whites and yolks
Crack the eggs into a bowl and separate the whites and yolks in separate bowls. Add cooking oil and milk to the egg yolk bowl in turn, and gently stir well to ensure that there is no separation of oil and water. Next, sift in 120 grams of flour and mix it well with a stirring technique (rather than stirring) until it is free of flour particles. It should be noted here that excessive stirring will make the flour form gluten, which will affect the taste of the cake and may even cause the finished product to become hard.
Squeezing a few drops of lemon juice into an egg white bowl will not only remove the fishy smell but also promote the steady fermentation of the meringue. Then add the sugar in three times, whether it is an electric or homemade whisk, you must quickly beat until the meringue appears to have a big bubble, add the second sugar, and then add the last sugar after the color turns white, until the meringue is delicate and firm, and can pull out a small triangle.
When cake making is in progress
Next, mix the evenly mixed egg yolk paste with half of the meringue, again stirring to avoid damaging the bubble structure of the meringue. When the two are completely combined, pour the mixture into the remaining meringue, sprinkle with an appropriate amount of black sesame seeds, and mix well.
Prepare the mold, apply a thin oil inside, and put blotting paper on the bottom, pour the cake batter and gently shake the mold to eliminate air bubbles to ensure that the cake surface is smooth and free of potholes. Sprinkle with your favorite dried fruits such as raisins and cover with a layer of plastic wrap to prevent moisture from dripping in during steaming.
A magical moment of steaming a cake
At this moment, our "protagonist" is about to usher in a gorgeous transformation. Place the molds in a pot of boiling water and steam over high heat for 40 minutes, then turn off the heat and simmer for another 5 minutes. The moment you open the lid, you'll find a fluffy, full-bodied, aromatic home-style steamed cake already in place.
This steamed cake is soft, sweet and delicious, and both adults and children will love its taste. If you have cheese at home, you can also try to make some creative shapes on the surface of the cake and instantly transform it into the star dessert of your children's birthday party. Involving them in the production process not only exercised their hands-on ability, but also was a life practice that was entertaining and educational.
If you are also a like-minded person who loves food and likes to explore and innovate, please feel free to send a private message to Xiaodong Food Square, and we will discuss more secrets of making food. Looking forward to our next beautiful encounter in the world of food!