Sponge cake (baked) 鸡蛋糕

Sponge cakes are made from eggs, flour, sugar, and sometimes, small quantities of vanilla flavor is added. It is baked and has a golden brown exterior with pale yellowish white interior.

Sponge cakes are usually plain with no fillings but the bigger ones sometimes have red bean paste. Sponge cake is a popular pastry and available all year round.

The sponge cake is “plain” by comparison to other members of Chinese pastry family. Compared to the prosperity cake, 发糕, and the Nian Gao 年糕, the sponge cake has almost no ceremonial value.

Unlike the Bean Paste pastry 豆沙饼, it does not “chops” to emboss special use or ritual value. Maybe that is why sponge cake has a straightforward name – sponge cake.

The sponge cake is bought for normal consumption but that has not prevented creativity in its production. In fact, sponge cake has the most variation in designs and sizes among Chinese pastries. They can be bought individually or in a pack sealed in a clear plastic wrap.

Here, we show the range of shapes and designs that the sponge cake can take.

Classical Sponge cake

This is the most classical type of sponge cake and most commonly seen. It usually comes in a bag stacked on top of each other.

The larger ones may have bean paste filling inside and some als have melon seeds on top for additional flavor and visual effect.

Fishes

One of most popular design is in the shape of a fish. Fish 鱼symbolizes abundance 余 because the fish sounds very similar to abundance in Mandarin.

As a popular design, the sponge cake fishes comes in different shapes and sizes.

Plum / geometric

Some say this is a plum while other claim it is just a geometric shape.

Melon / geometric

This is even more controversial than the Plum / geometric.

It is said to be a melon or a geometric shape. Some (mainly kids) claim it is a rugby ball.

Double coin

Sponge cake in the design of a double coin

Crab

"Seafood" shaped sponge cake.

Sea shell

Another "seafood" shaped sponge cake and very popular with kids.

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Chinese Pastries