Unexpected Cakes

Cakes as sweet desserts are not very common among the Cantonese, who prefer fruit at the end of their meals. But they do eat sweet cakes during holidays, festivals, and at weddings. In the dim sum teahouses there will be a few sweet cakes, such as those based on water chestnut powder and sweet rice, and of course there will be those sweet, egg-yellow custard tarts that are so prized by the Cantonese. (These are a favorite of my younger son, who eats them by the plateful.) And there will be unsweetened cakes, usually made from grains and vegetables.