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9th Avenue Bakery (Kaimuki): tea cake, anyone?

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  • 9th Avenue Bakery (Kaimuki): tea cake, anyone?

    This was one of my grandfather's favorite treats, it became my mom's and in time she would pass it on to my sister and I. The last time I was back home, the bakery was still open but the owners had no idea how to make it. The guy said "oh, old timers, huh?" My sister made an attempt to write to Betty Shimabukuro in the hopes of coming up with a recipe, but she tried it and it did not come close.

    Anyone remember 9th Avenue Bakery's tea cake, and is there a recipe for it or one that comes very close? I find it hard to believe that with as many people who went to the bakery, a recipe isn't circulating.

  • #2
    Re: 9th Avenue Bakery (Kaimuki): tea cake, anyone?

    No answers yet? Sorry can't help either. I used to go there regularly, but never had their tea cake. Used to go for their long johns and glazed donuts.

    Btw, I glanced real quick through several recipes and the main thing going is eggs and the separation of the yolks and using them in a different stage of the recipe. All the recipes seemed pretty identical so there's probably a great many variations on the theme. You may have to just keep experimenting till it gets close. Probably stuff like adding an extra egg or one less, more sugar, steam longer, more green tea, etc. Good luck.

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    • #3
      Re: 9th Avenue Bakery (Kaimuki): tea cake, anyone?

      A year later, and still no leads. I'm upping this one, someone must have a recipe or at least be familiar with this.

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      • #4
        Re: 9th Avenue Bakery (Kaimuki): tea cake, anyone?

        try contacting Wanda Adams, food editor at the Star Bulletin (I think) - she always seems to come up with old recipes.

        if I'm wrong about the newspaper - try the other one.
        "Democracy is the only system that persists in asking the powers that be whether they are the powers that ought to be."
        – Sydney J. Harris

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        • #5
          Re: 9th Avenue Bakery (Kaimuki): tea cake, anyone?

          Are you asking about Chinese tea cakes/cookies aka pake cakes? If you google pake cakes you will get several hits about those sold in Laie.

          To my knowledge Betty Shimabukuro has printed 2 recipes for Chinese tea cakes in the Star Bulletin.

          There is this one.

          Then she printed this one (I couldn’t find the original article):

          Chinese Tea Cookies (Kong Sui Ban)

          Honolulu Star Bulletin

          1 cup water
          5 slabs (about 13 ounces) wong tong (Chinese brown sugar)
          1/2 cup white sugar
          5 1/2 cups flour
          2 tablespoons baking powder
          1/4 cup honey
          1 cup vegetable oil
          2 eggs

          Bring water to boil. Break wong tong into pieces and add to water. Stir to dissolve. Remove from heat and stir in white sugar to dissolve.

          Whisk together flour and baking powder.

          Combine honey and oil; beat in eggs. Add to flour mixture and stir to combine. Add sugar syrup and mix until smooth. Let rest 1 hour.

          Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover cookie sheets with baking parchment.

          Scoop dough onto cookie sheets and press flat (about 1/2 inch thick). Cookies should be 3 inches wide for traditional size, but it's OK to make them smaller. Bake 12 to 15 minutes.

          Cool slightly on cookie sheet, then move cookies to a rack. Makes 20 large cookies.

          Note: 1 1/2 cups brown sugar may be used in place of wong tong.

          I hope one of these recipes helps you.

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          • #6
            Re: 9th Avenue Bakery (Kaimuki): tea cake, anyone?

            Originally posted by lihingmui View Post
            I hope one of these recipes helps you.
            Mahalo, lihingmui. I remember my sister once writing to Betty Shimabukuro about it, and not sure if this was the recipe but it wasn't quite how she remembered it. However, I'll take a look and try to make it myself next weekend. I'll also do a bit of searching around too.

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