Zao Gao - Date Cake Recipe for special sponge cake

[mianbao]

Hello everyone!

 

 

I am looking for a very elusive recipe. When I was studying at Beijing University for 2 semesters in 2020 (I am American).

 

I had the most amazing sponge cake of my life from the local mall about 2 miles away.

 

I forget the name of the bakery/shop but I do remember the name of the cake ZaoGao funny right? because it was delicious... delicious actually doesn't do it justice, it was transcendental. 

 

It was soft and airy and wonderful in every way. It was a Date Cake with no nuts. Extremely simple and the second they pulled it out and cut it up it was sold in a matter of minutes.

 

The picture included is the closest reference I have and most of the recipes I have found online my friends tell me are not accurate.

 

 

Thanks for any assistance finding this Recipe and making it from scratch.

 

All The Best!!

[abcdefg]

Funny name. A pun, of course. A play on the exclamation 糟糕! （terrible!; too bad!)

 

The cake name is probably short for 红枣蛋糕。I don't know how to make it. But I'll bet your search needs to be for recipes using 红枣 hongzao, aka "jujube," not Middle Eastern or Arabian-style dates from date palm trees. (Medjool dates.) Hongzao grow on tall flowering shrubs. They are beloved all over China. Sold dried. Used widely in cooking everything from savory meat stews to porridge. Different flavor from brown dates. 

 

Here's one such recipe: 

https://www.ixigua.com/6978524919000891945?wid_try=1 

[abcdefg]

@mianbao-- Did you look at the recipe? Did you try making it? I don't bake cakes, but it looks pretty straight forward. If you get stuck with translation, I can probably help. 

 

Note that it calls for 低筋面粉 -- which is low-gluten cake flour. I don't think it will turn out to have the desired texture if you were to use "all purpose flour" or "bread flour." 

 

You will probably find that it's difficult to exactly reproduce something you ate in a restaurant a long time ago no matter your level of culinary skill. But you can still work out ways to make something that is similar in concept and enjoyable. That is usually what I shoot for at home, in my ordinary home kitchen. 

[abcdefg]

On 6/6/2023 at 8:48 AM, mianbao said:

>>"Thanks for any assistance finding this Recipe and making it from scratch. All The Best!!"

 

I must admit I'm confused as to why you would request help with this project, if you never intended to return to the thread to interact with the results of your search. That makes you sound insincere and makes anyone who could help you reluctant to do so. 

[Zeppa]

I'm enjoying it though. But it's odd.