Malay cake (马来糕)

Adapted from http://mykitchen101en.com/dark-brown-sugar-ma-lai-koh-with-yeast/

The problem isn't with the recipe, it's with me. I misread the instructions. It didn't come out as fluffy as expected but not too bad. The cake tastes a bit soapy but could be because I didn't follow the steps. I've transcribed the original recipe and my steps.

Ingredients
3 eggs
⅔ C evaporated milk
3 tbsp water (or pandan juice if available)
180g plain flour
1 tsp yeast
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
50g (3½ tbsp oil)

Method
1) In a bowl, sift the flour and salt. Add the dark sugar, salt, yeast and mix well.
2) In a separate bowl, beat the eggs. Add the evaporated milk and water (or pandan juice) and whisk well.
3) Add the wet to the dry slowly until a batter forms. Do not over beat. If desired, sieve the batter into another bowl to ensure that you don't have lumps of dark sugar.
4) Cover the bowl and proof for 2 hours.
5) Bring the water to a rolling boil. Wrap a cloth around the cover so that the condensation doesn't drip onto the cake during steaming.
6) Ensure enough water to steam for 40 minutes. Take a small bowl and add 4 to 5 tsp of the batter into it. Sift in the baking soda and baking powder. Add the oil and mix everything well. Return this batter back to the main batter and mix well.
7) Pour into a lined cake tin (mine was 28" rather than 29" stated in the recipe).
8) Steam for 40 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Do not lift the lid to peek until at least after the first 30 minutes otherwise the cake will collapse. Switch off the flame and let the cake rest for 10 minutes to stabilise.
9) Remove the cake tin onto a wire rack and unmould to cool.
10) Serve warm if possible.

Less well rise compared to the blogger

This is my wrong method. I think perhaps the yeast deactivated the baking soda or vice versa. But it still comes out moist and light, perhaps due to the steaming rather than baking.

1) Whisk the eggs and oil until pale. 

2) In another bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Add the dark sugar, yeast and salt and mix well.

3) Add the dry to the wet gradually and fold in. Do not overmix. Cover and proof for 2 hours in a warm place.

4) Give the batter a stir and pour it into a cake tin. It will be very runny. 

The rest of the steps are the same. This recipe will be updated eventually with a new picture when I do it correctly.

Update: This version also uses brown sugar but uses baking powder and steams. It is more similar to steamed egg cake.