What Cantonese dessert cake served as dim sum is also called ma lai go?

The Cantonese dessert cake also called ma lai go is Malay sponge cake.

Malay sponge cake is a steamed cake popular in Guangdong and Hong Kong, where it is traditionally served in teahouses as a dim sum item. In Cantonese, ma lai go refers to the cake’s familiar name; Mandarin sources may use ma lai gao. It is usually sold in slices from a large, round, airy cake.

The batter commonly includes flour, eggs, sugar, and a leavening culture or raising agents. Steaming—often in a bamboo steamer—gives the cake its soft, springy texture and distinctive puffiness. Variations may use brown sugar, coconut milk, honey, butter, or lard.

Its history is not completely settled. Explanations connect it variously with Guangdong, British-era Malaysia, and Western or Portuguese sponge-cake traditions circulating through Southeast Asia. The name therefore does not prove that the modern cake originated solely in the Malay world. It is also easy to confuse with other Cantonese steamed cakes, but ma lai go specifically identifies this sponge cake.