Mom's Asian Cake Recipe

Here's an Asian cake recipe from my mom.  I don't know where she got it originally, but it is now her staple.  Asian cakes are quite similar to angel food cakes are they do not require a cargo load of butter, and they are fairly light and not too sweet.  This particular recipe is for the typical type of Asian cake that you'd find in an Asian bakery.  They are usually covered with light whipped cream and fruit.  Sometimes you'll see them decorated like Hello Kitty or other fluffy animals.

I'm not including decorating instructions as you're free to do whatever you like with your cake, and that you can find a simple whipped cream recipe.  I happy to like my cake straight up with no icing.


This Angry cake was at Six Ping Bakery in Houston, TX. 

Here's the recipe my mom has written down.  I'll have the English translation below in case you were wondering.

Here's the ingredients for the Asian cake: 

• 3/4 cup fat free milk 
• 1 1/4 cup cake flour 
• 1/4 teaspoon
• 3/4 cup oil 
• 1 teaspoon baking powder 
• 1 teaspoon Almond extract (or whatever type of extract you want)
• 7 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoon powdered sugar (or you could add more if you like sweeter cakes) 
• 7 egg whites 
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  You'll need to oven ready to go when the cake is ready to bake.  You can't let the batter on this one sit around.  

2. Combine the milk, egg yolks, oil, and almond extract together in a bowl.  Mix vigorously.

3. Sift together the cake flour, salt, and baking powder together.

4. Mix the dry ingredients with the milk, egg, and oil mixture in parts.  As in only put 1/3 of the dry ingredients into the bowl and then mix.  Then put in the other 1/3 into the bowl and mix.  You get the picture.

5. Whip the egg whites until they form soft peaks.  Before they form soft peaks, add in the powdered sugar and cream of tarter.  2 tablespoons of sugar for a cake doesn't seem very sweet, and it is not.  If you like sweeter cakes, add more sugar. 

6. Combine the egg whites with the other mixture in parts.  Add 1/3 of the egg whites to the other mixture and fold gently.  Don't crush the egg white.  Then add in another 1/3 of the egg whites and fold ever so gently.  And then fold again very gently.

7. My mom likes to split the batter into two 9 inch round pans.  She also uses an angel food cake pan.  Whatever you do, DON'T oil the pans.  Mom just puts the batter in the pan straight up.  And be gentle.  Gentle with this batter.  It is delicate like a snowflake.

8. Bake for 25 minute at 350 degrees.  The cakes should be springy when you remove them from the oven.

9. Allow them to cool.  Decorate or just plain like I do.


Meet my mom's mixer.  It is about as old as I am. 

Here's the two mixtures.  The one with the egg yolks is the yellow one. 

Egg whites into the egg yolk mixture. 

And into the pan the batter goes. 

Lobster Party at Confucious Restaurant in Houston,TX

You might say that I'm somewhat particular about my Asian cuisine.  You might also say that I'm very picky about my seafood.  You would most likely say that about Cooking for Engineers.  You can read his review here.

With that said, I bring you some food pornorific posts with lobster.  Unfortunately, this restaurant is not in Austin.  Confucious Restaurant is in Houston (8880 Bellaire Boulevard Houston, TX 77036‎ (713) 271-6888) in a shopping center.  It is very typical of many Asian restaurants in Houston.  It lacks a website, has no social media channels, but is packed tight with hungry customers.

This restaurant is the go to place for a traditional dish of lobster with ginger and green onions, one of my favorites.  Every table will have at least a plate or two of these lovely lobsters.  They sell for market price, and are kept live in the tanks along the back wall.  On the night we went, they were a mere 18.99 for two!!!!!  Did you scream in delight?  I did.  Now enjoy!

The lobster came out pretty quickly.  So did the cameras. 

Nerding out over lobsters.

We also ordered claypot beef with eggplant.  I thought the flavors were nice. 

From left to right, we have sizzling chicken with black bean sauce, the LOBSTER, beef ribs with eggplant, and water spinach. 

I really liked this chicken, and I was a bit annoyed with the wait staff took the dish away with one piece of chicken still on it. 

MMmmmm......Lobsters!!!!!!