How to prevent steam cake shrinking?!


Question: How to prevent steam cake shrinking!?
i steamed a cake!. i follow the instruction!. after 25 minutes, i opened the lid, the cake looked great, it was big like a ballon!. but then it kept shrinking and eventually it's taste like rubber!. what did i do wrong!?Www@FoodAQ@Com


Answers:
I think the problem was the flour, the recipe called for top flour which is a really finely ground flour that's the texture of dust/corn starch!. You can find this flour in asian speciality shops or as "extra fine flour", it's not quite the same as cake flour!.

If you can't find top flour, try this recipe instead (it includes baking powder which helps the flour rise)!.

Steamed Sponge Cake

Servings: 8-9

4 large eggs
1 large egg white
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sifted cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1!. Line the bottom of an 8-inch round cake pan (with 2 to 3-inch tall sides) with cooking parchment cut to fit!. If pan has a removable rim, wrap outside with foil to prevent water from seeping in!.

2!. In a large bowl, with a mixer on high speed, beat whole eggs, egg white, and sugar until thick and pale yellow, 4 to 5 minutes!. Stir in vanilla!. In a small bowl, mix flour and baking powder until blended!. With a whisk, fold flour mixture into egg mixture until evenly blended!. Scrape batter into pan!. Tap pan lightly on work surface to remove air pockets!.

3!. Set a round rack (cake rack, basket steamer, removable rim from a cake pan, or empty 2-in!.-tall cans with both ends cut out) in a 12 to 14-inch steamer, 14-inch wok, or 12-inch frying pan (with at least 2-inch tall sides; steamer should be wide enough to hold cake pan without sides touching)!. Pour water into steamer to about 1/2 inch below top of rack!. Cover steamer and bring water to a boil over high heat!.

4!. Place cake on rack and cover steamer (if cover doesn't fit over cake, tent steamer with a large piece of foil, sealing it around the edges so steam can't escape); reduce heat to medium and steam until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes!. If necessary, add more boiling water to maintain level!. Remove cover quickly and carefully so condensed steam doesn't drip onto cake!. Remove cake from steamer!.

5!. Run a knife between cake and pan rim to loosen sides!. Invert onto a rack, remove pan and parchment, and invert again onto another rack!. Let cake cool at least 10 minutes!. With a serrated knife, cut cake into diamonds or wedges!. Serve warm or cool!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

STEAM CAKE

2 c!. sugar
2 c!. self rising flour
2 sticks butter
6 tbsp!. cocoa
1 c!. water
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 c!. buttermilk
1 tsp!. soda
1 tsp!. vanilla

ICING:

1 stick butter
1 tsp!. vanilla
4 tbsp!. cocoa
6 tbsp!. milk
1 box confectioners sugar, sifted
Chopped pecans

Sift flour and sugar in a large mixing bowl; set aside!. Melt butter, add cocoa and water!. Bring to a boil!. Add eggs, buttermilk, in which soda has been dissolved!. Add vanilla!. Bake at 400 degrees in 10 x 14 x 2 inch pan for about 25 minutes!.

ICING: Melt butter, add cocoa and bring to a boil!. Remove from heat; add milk, sugar, pecans, and vanilla!. Pour on cake immediately upon removal from oven!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

I make steam cakes all the time!. I learned how to make them from my Indonesian-Dutch neighbor when I lived in California!. My recipe is much simpler than yours and has always worked for me!. It looks just like the picture of the steam cake you linked to!. Here's what's in mine and how I prepare it!.

STEAM CAKE (She called it Steam Bread)

1 water glass of granulated sugar
1 water glass of all-purpose flour
6 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Beat the eggs until very light yellow and fluffy!. Add the sugar slowly and continue to beat!. Add the vanilla and beat once more!. Turn your mixer to low and add the flour a tablespoonful at a time, mixing gently!.

Put about 2" of water in a steamer pot!. Bring to the boil!. Line the upper part of the steamer pot with cheesecloth, draping the edges over the sides!. Gently spoon the cake mix onto the cheesecloth!. Fold the ends of the cheesecloth over the top of the cake mix!. Place the steamer pot lid on and steam for 1 hour!. Done perfectly!! It doesn't ever fall!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

yeah, the aluminium cover might be the prpblem!. Without the sheet your cake was "developed" too quickly!. The aluminium sheet was intended to release the heat bit by bit into the cake so that the cake will have time to do all the process needed to be a "successful" cake!.

plus make sure that the cake was put to be steamed while the "enviroment" was really hot already!Www@FoodAQ@Com

did you do its cold water bath!?!?!?!?

Could be steam cakes are so tricky, with oven temps!. Every oven is different!.!.!.!.Some recipes call for taking the cake and immediately sitting the pan in cold water!.!.!.!.I wish I could be of more helpWww@FoodAQ@Com

i saw how my mom steamed one before!. she got the same problem!. LOL!Www@FoodAQ@Com





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