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Kuih bahulu
Mini egg sponge cakes
Kuih bahulu: crisp-shelled little egg sponges baked in flower and fish moulds
In the week before Hari Raya, kitchens across the Malay peninsula smell of warm egg sponge as bahulu come out of their brass flower and goldfish moulds by the dozen, stored in airtight jars for visiting guests. The outside is thin and crisp, the inside light and dry, a little like a madeleine without butter. Eggs, sugar and flour are all it takes, plus patience with the whisk. Chef's tip: under-whisking is the usual mistake; beat the eggs and sugar until they fall in a thick ribbon that sits on the surface for 3 seconds, or the bahulu bake flat and dense.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 24
Ingredients
- 3 eggslarge, at room temperature
- 3 ⅞ oz caster sugar
- 3 ⅞ oz plain flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp neutral oilfor the moulds
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 400°F (350°F fan) and put the bahulu mould (or a mini madeleine or mini muffin tin) inside to heat for 10 minutes.
10 minStep 2: Sift 3 ⅞ oz plain flour with ½ tsp baking powder twice, so it is very light.
Step 3: Whisk 3 eggs and 3 ⅞ oz caster sugar with an electric mixer on high for 8–10 minutes, until pale, tripled in volume and falling in a thick ribbon. Whisk in ½ tsp vanilla extract.
10 minStep 4: Sift the flour over the eggs in three lots, folding each in with a large spatula just until no streaks remain. Fold from the bottom; stirring knocks out the air.
Step 5: Take out the hot mould and brush each cup generously with 2 tbsp neutral oil. Fill the cups to the brim with batter (a piping bag is easiest).
Step 6: Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and the edges are crisp and pulling from the mould.
12 minStep 7: Prise the bahulu out with a skewer at once and cool on a rack. Re-oil the hot mould and bake the rest in batches.
Step 8: Once completely cold, store in an airtight jar, where they stay crisp-shelled for about a week.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 44 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 8 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kuih bahulu take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 24 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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