• One belief is that the cake known today as “鸡蛋糕” (literally, “egg cake”) originated from Guangzhou, China and was introduced in the 1930s to Singapore, where it was served in teahouses.
• There are two main styles of “鸡蛋糕”: steamed and baked. The steamed version is made in a rectangular tray and then cut into slices. The baked version is presented in the form of a blossoming flower in a paper or aluminium foil cup.
• To make steamed cakes, the egg whites are first separated and whipped into a light foam, before the other ingredients are added, and the mixture is stirred together. The batter is poured into a mould that has been brushed with a thin layer of oil, then put into the oven or steamer.
• The soft, fluffy texture of the cakes, coupled with the fragrance of eggs, is their greatest selling point.
• In the 1960s and 1970s, many Singaporeans used copper moulds to prepare these cakes to serve relatives and friends visiting during Lunar New Year and other festivals.

Chinese egg sponge cakes are traditionally used by the Cantonese as a wedding gift. Thus, they are also known as “嫁女饼”, which is made up of the words “嫁女” (“to marry off one’s daughter”) and “饼” (“cake”).