Traditional Malay sponge cake

Serve the cakes immediately or keep them warm over a bare simmer until needed. — Photos: LOW LAY PHON/ The Star

IF you look up ma lai go, you’ll find it listed as a classic dim sum dessert from Hong Kong. However, the name itself hints at its origins: “ma lai” means Malay and “go” means cake.

The story of ma lai go is believed to have started during the British colonisation of Malaya.