Ma Lai Go Chinese Steamed Cake is a fluffy brown sugar sponge cake that is commonly found on dim sum carts in Southern China and Hong Kong—the few places where it is done well and is very popular.
However, whether you name it ma lai go (Cantonese) or ma la gao (马拉糕, or sometimes 马来糕, Mandarin), ma lai alludes to "Malay," as in Malaysia.
The name Gao means cake, therefore "Malaysia cake" is what we're talking about here, even though it's been incorporated into Cantonese cuisine.
According to the tale, Ma Lai Go began in Malaysia due to British influence and spread to Hong Kong, where the recipe was tweaked into what it is now.
Ma Lai Go is made by professional Hong Kong cooks using a starter dough or levain. Making fermented starting dough is a labor of love and a lengthy procedure,
so most recipes, including this one, forego the starter dough and instead use more baking powder and/or baking soda to achieve a similar leavening effect without the extra time for fermentation.
Ma Lai Go prepared with starter dough features a streaky pattern of air pockets caused by fermentation,
allowing you to distinguish whether your cake was made with or without a fermented starter.
4 Zodiac Signs Obtain Universe Blessings August 31, 2024