Striped steam cakes

As ovens are not common in Indonesian kitchens, these steamed cupcakes are the answer and they are really fun to make. You’ll find them in most markets, piled up in an often lurid array of multicolours to tempt children on their way home from school. I prefer a subtler, two-tone approach of chocolate with a whisper of nutmeg and vanilla. Hot steam causes the cakes to whoosh up, unfurling like blooming flowers, creating wonderful stripes and striations as they do so. The texture inside is so