Serves: 5
Total Calories: 320

6 eggs
1 to 1 1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Separate eggs. Beat yolks in a large bowl. Add sugar and water beat until fluffy.

2. Sift together flour and baking powder. Gradually add to eggs, mixing well. Then blend in vanilla extract.

3. Beat egg whites until they form peaks and are stiff but not dry. Fold into batter.

4. Line a cake pan (about 8 or 9 inches square and about 3 inches deep) with waxed paper or foil. Pour batter into pan. Rap the pan sharply on the table several times to remove large air bubbles.

5. Steam until done (20 to 25 minutes). See HOW-TO, _Steaming. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick: If no batter adheres, the cake is done.

6. Let cake cool slightly. Place a large flat platter over the pan and invert cake onto it. Remove waxed paper or foil. Turn the cake right-side up and cut in 2-inch squares. Serve hot or cold. (Hot is better.)

NOTE: This cake is fine for summer since it needs no oven-baking. It's also excellent for low-fat diets. To keep it dry, place a cloth under the steamer lid to catch and absorb the steam drippings.

VARIATIONS:
* For the sugar, substitute powdered sugar.
* For the vanilla extract, use either half-vanilla and half-almond extract or half· vanilla and half-lemon extract.
* Use an electric mixer: Beat the egg whites until stiff. Gradually add the sugar and beat 2 minutes. (Omit the water.) Add the egg yolks and vanilla extract beat 2 minutes more. Sift in the flour and baking powder, and mix well with egg mixture to make a smooth batter. Pick up steps 4, 5 and 6.
* In step 4, line a Chinese bamboo steamer with a damp cloth pour in the batter and steam. Or pour the batter into paper cupcake cups or greased custard cups.

The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.

Nutritional Facts:

Serves: 5
Total Calories: 320
Calories from Fat: 32

More Recipes from the Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook Cookbook:
*Sweet Dishes
Almond Cookies
Almond Float I
Almond Float II
Banana Gelatin
Eight Precious Pudding
Eight Precious Pudding: Fruit and Nut Combinations
Eight Precious Pudding: Sweetened Water
Ginger Soup
Ginger Soup: Dumplings
Glazed Chestnut Balls
Glazed Whole Chestnuts
Green Pea Pudding
Honeyed Apples
Honeyed Apples: Syrup Mixture A
Honeyed Apples: Syrup Mixture B
Honeyed Apples: Syrup Mixture C
Honeyed Bananas
Honeyed Crab Apples
Hot Lotus Tea
Peking Dust I
Peking Dust II
Peking Dust: Glazed Fruit
Pineapple Gelatin
Sesame Seed Cookies
Spiced Roasted Peanuts
Steamed Pears
Steamed Red Date Cake
Steamed Sponge Cake
Sugared Chestnut Balls
Sugared Walnuts
Sweet Almond Tea I
Sweet Almond Tea II
Sweet Almond Tea III
Sweet Grapefruit Tea
Sweet Orange Tea I
Sweet Orange Tea II
Sweet Peanut Soup
Sweet Pineapple Tea
Sweet Walnut Tea
Sweetened Water
Turkish Barley Pudding
Water Chestnut Pudding