Japan's 7-Eleven Steamed Egg Cake (Tamago Mushipan) | Copycat Recipe

Recreate 7-Eleven's tamago mushipan at home. A Japanese steamed egg cake that's fluffy, moist, and melts in your mouth.

Jump to Recipe

About This Recipe

7-Eleven's tamago mushipan is a fluffy Japanese steamed egg cake that has been a favorite in Japan for years. Open the bag and a gentle, sweet aroma rises. The first bite is light and airy, yet surprisingly moist, melting away smoothly in the mouth. It is the kind of taste that brings you back for another one, and some visitors to Japan make a point of picking one up during their stay.

Mushipan itself is a common sight in Japan, sold on the bread shelf. The name means steamed bread, but the texture is closer to a light sponge cake, lightly sweet and steamed rather than baked.

7-Eleven's version is a little different from an ordinary mushipan. There are two main differences.

The first is that it is moist and yet light, with a clean finish in the mouth. Normally, the more fat you add, the heavier the batter eats. Even so, 7-Eleven's version holds both a juicy moistness and a light texture at once.

The second is a distinctive richness and aroma. Beyond the richness of the dairy, there is another layer of flavor underneath.

There is no way for us to know how 7-Eleven's mushipan is actually made, but we tested this recipe again and again to bring it as close to the original as we could. For the details of that process, and for a gluten-free version made with rice flour, see this article.

How We Recreated Japan's 7-Eleven Steamed Egg Cake at Home

When you lift the lid of the steamer, that gentle aroma fills the kitchen. And with the first bite comes the fluffy, moist, melting texture. If you have the chance to visit Japan, do try the original at 7-Eleven. And at home, enjoy that taste with this recipe.

 

Ingredients (Makes 2 pieces, 4-inch square or 6-inch round each)

 

Instructions

1		Combine the vegetable oil, heavy cream, yogurt, and soy sauce in a bowl. Set the bowl over a hot water bath and warm to around 95–105°F (35–40°C). Tip Cold fat does not blend easily into the batter. Bringing the liquids close in temperature to the egg batter before combining helps everything mix evenly.
2		Using the same water bath, warm the eggs and sugar to around 95–105°F (35–40°C) and whip thoroughly with a hand mixer. Start on high for 4–6 minutes, until the batter turns pale and grows in volume, then switch to low for 1–2 minutes to settle the foam. Lift the beater: the batter is ready when it falls in ribbons that hold their shape for a few seconds. Tip Finishing on high speed alone leaves a mix of large and small bubbles. Mixing slowly on low breaks the large bubbles down into a fine, even foam and makes it more stable. This gives the steamed cake a finer crumb and a texture that melts in the mouth.
3		Sift the cake flour, cornstarch, skim milk powder, and baking powder together, then add to the whipped batter. Fold with a spatula, cutting through the batter, until no dry flour remains. Tips Insert the spatula from the near side of the bowl down to the bottom, then scoop and turn the batter over in a large motion. Rotate the bowl 20–30 degrees with your other hand after each fold and repeat. Scooping from the bottom and folding over, rather than stirring in circles, keeps the air bubbles intact and gives a fine, light texture. Overmixing breaks the bubbles and develops gluten, which makes the texture heavy. Mix no more than necessary.
4		Stir the warmed liquids well, add a small amount of the batter, and whisk together thoroughly. Once smooth, return the mixture to the rest of the batter and fold 10–15 times, cutting through the batter. Stop as soon as it is evenly combined. Tip Adding the fat directly makes it separate within the batter and break the whipped air bubbles. Blending it with a small amount of batter first disperses the fat finely so it incorporates evenly. The result is a finer crumb, more moisture, and a light, smooth finish in the mouth.
5		Pour the batter into the mold. Push a skewer down to the bottom and draw a few slow circles, or move it in a zigzag a few times, to release the larger air pockets. Tap the mold gently on the counter to settle the batter into the corners and release any remaining large bubbles.
6		Start steaming as soon as the batter is mixed, since the air bubbles fade over time. Place the mold in a steamer with the steam already rising, cover, and immediately reduce to low or medium-low heat. Steam for 13–15 minutes. It is done when a skewer comes out clean.
7		Combine the sugar and water for the syrup and stir until the sugar dissolves. Make it while the cake is steaming so it is ready as soon as the cake comes out.
8		Turn the cake out of the mold and brush the syrup over the entire surface while it is still hot. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap right away and let it cool. Once cooled, rest it in the refrigerator for 1–2 hours so the syrup settles into the crumb, bringing it closer to that moist, juicy texture that melts in the mouth. Tip The syrup does more than add moisture. It also slows the starch from firming up, so the cake stays soft even after it sits.

 

Recipe Video: Watch How It’s Made

 

No Steamer? Steam in a Frying Pan

Pour boiling water into a deep frying pan or pot, filling it to about one third or half the height of the mold. Cover and bring to a boil so that the steam is rising steadily.

Once the steam is up, place the mold with the batter into the pan and cover. Wrapping the lid in a clean kitchen towel or paper towel before closing it prevents water droplets from falling onto the batter and gives a cleaner surface.

Steam for 13–15 minutes over low to medium-low heat. If the water runs low during steaming, always top it up with boiling water. Cold water lowers the temperature inside and keeps the cake from rising properly. Try not to lift the lid for the first 10 minutes or so.

A frying pan is a smaller space than a steamer, and the steam hits the batter more directly. If the heat is too high, the surface can crack, the crumb can turn coarse, and the cake can dry out. Steaming gently over low to medium-low heat, just enough to keep the water boiling, is the key to a moist, fluffy result.