Fly African Cake

I have been thinking about this cake for quite a long time already. It was introduced to me some 25 years ago by our cake teacher. After making kueh lapis, we would have lots of egg whites left as the kueh lapis uses a lot of egg yolks.

Instead of throwing them out or making endless egg white omelettes, we make this cake. When we were in the baking class, our teachers decorated it with fresh cream. It was covered with fresh cream and then an African lady’s face was drawn on the cake.

I lost all my recipes recently as my file was missing from the shelf it was always on. I have no clue what happened. As a result, I have to just recall all the recipes I used to have and recreate them one by one after doing some research. This is one of them.

This cake calls for ovalette, a stabilizing agent that is used commercially in sponge cakes. It makes the cake velvety moist and soft. I reckon it is not very healthy. Yet without it, this cake cannot be done at all. I have tried many other ways and means, but it won’t hold up. In the end, I resort to using just 1/3 of the recommended amount, to good success.

So here’s the Fly African cake. Be surprised how wonderful a cake made with egg white can be so flavourful and tasty.

Long before the coffee pours, bakers have already been doing this to our cakes. I just do this for fun today.

Too little almonds, my kids say, so I will add a lot more in future. the cake crack more easily with more almonds, but for the sake of a nicer tasting cake… Maybe I will tent it to prevent the surface from drying out.

Fresh out of the oven.

Have a slice. It brings you out of this world.