Chinese Steamed Sponge Cake with Coconut Icing and A Really Great Book

The whole inspiration behind trying this cake was a book. This is not just any book. This is a book that touches all emotions, that makes you look inward, that makes you want to fight with every fiber of your being for that which is right and good. This is a book about an inspiring lady who had the faith, perseverance and tenacity to do just that. The title... "Life and Death in Shanghai" A personal account from the author, Nien Cheng ,of her survival during the Cultural Revolution. My mom chose this book for her book-club. Thanks, Mom, for sharing this wonderful book. It has inspired me. I give it 5 STARS!
Well, since this book is about the Chinese culture, my mom carried the theme into the rest of her bookclub. It was delightful. She even had the ladies, upon arrival, take off their shoes and put little booties on. The conversations were wonderful, the food was fabulous and the memories are cherished! Here is a snippet of our afternoon.

This was the Steamed Sponge Cake I made. Look below for the recipe.

Cake being steamed in my dutch oven.

This is how it looked when it was done steaming.

My beautiful Mom. The author of a wonderful afternoon.

These are homemade Pot Stickers that my Sister-In-Law made. I just had to take a picture. Aren't they beautiful? They were SO GOOD! I think I could have eaten a dozen by myself. Something I will be making very soon....


Here's the spread... Chinese Chicken Salad, Pot Stickers, Spring Rolls, Rice, Sesame Seed Rolls, Fortune Cookies, Chinese Sponge Cake, Herbal Tea, and lots of little Chinese goodies from the Chinese market. Oh and don't forget your chop stix! What fun.

This was a really easy recipe to make. I know there are more elaborate versions of this cake, but this worked out really well and was really good.

Chinese Steamed Sponge Cake with Coconut Icing

Sponge Cake

1 cup cake or pastry flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

4 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp almond extract

1/4 cup coconut milk

Coconut Icing:

2 TB plus 1 tsp pineapple juice

1 TB plus 2 tsp cornstarch

1 cup coconut milk

1/2 cup sugar

To Make the Cake: Line the bottom of a cake pan with parchment paper. Prepare a wok for steaming.Place the flour in a medium bowl. Sift in the baking powder and salt and set aside.In a separate bowl, add the sugar to the eggs and beat until they are frothy (about 3 minutes). Stir in the almond extract.Gradually add the flour mix to the egg mixture, stirring. Add the coconut milk. Stir until you have a smooth batter that is thoroughly mixed, but do not beat.Pour the batter into the pan (ideally it should only come 2/3 to 3/4 up the side of the pan). Steam for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool and remove from the pan, turning the cake over. Cut the cake into squares or diamond shapes.

To Make the Coconut Icing: In a small bowl, mix the pineapple juice and cornstarch and set aside.In a medium saucepan, bring the coconut milk and sugar to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add the pineapple juice/cornstarch mixture, stirring. Cook for a few minutes on medium-low heat to thicken. Cook for another minute, then remove and use to ice the cake. Chill the cake until the icing stiffens. Refrigerated in a sealed container, the icing will keep for a few days. It can be used again to ice another sponge cake, or as a simple (but sweet!) dessert for one to two people.

*** A few notes. I did not have a wok and so I used my dutch oven. It worked great. I also toasted some coconut to put on top of the icing. I think it was a delicious addition!