Chiffon everything!

I think that today’s post probably won’t be of much use to many of the readers out there. Reason being, the main ingredient used is durian. This fruit is not easily available in the west and probably quite expensive (if available). Named the King of Fruit, this spiky delicacy is something you either love or hate. The durians available this season are very good, sweet and rich in flavour. We have an overload of durians in our house the past few days so I decided to use some in a cake. Frankly, there is only this much durian you can eat before you fall sick. I put in a bit of thought as to the proportions of flour and liquid to use since this fruit is has a very strong and distinctive character of its own. I also used more egg white this time round so as to ensure that the cake remains light and airy. Sugar amount can be adjusted according to the sweetness of the durians. One word of warning, the smell of durians will permeate your whole house after baking. Hopefully, your neighbours are fine with that

Durian Chiffon Cake

6 egg yolk
8 egg whites
225g durian flesh, mashed
215g cake flour, sifted
2/3 cup & 3 tbsp caster sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
80 ml vegetable oil or safflower oil
80ml milk
50ml water 
3/4 tsp cream of tartar

1. Mix together durian and the liquid ingredients. Preheat the oven to 175C (350F), with the rack in the center. Have a 10 inch (25 cm) two piece tube pan (ungreased) ready.

2. In the bowl of your electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, whisk the flour, sugar (minus 3 tablespoons), baking powder, and salt.  Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the egg yolks, vanilla and the durian mixture. Beat about one minute or until smooth. Make sure there are no lumps of flour left unmixed.

3. Pour the batter into a large bowl. In a separate mixing bowl, with the mixer on whisk attachment beat the egg whites until foamy.  Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until soft peaks form.  Gradually beat in the remaining 4 tablespoons of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.  With a large rubber spatula,  stir in 1/3 of the egg whites to lighten the batten. Fold in the remaining egg whites (half portion at a time) into the batter (being careful not to deflate the batter). 

4. Pour the batter into the ungreased tube pan and bake for about 60 – 65 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.  Immediately upon removing the cake from the oven invert the pan and place on a bottle or flat surface so it is suspended over the counter.  Let the cake cool completely before removing from pan (about 1 1/2 – 2 hours). Serves 6 – 8.

A commendable effort

Today is the day where I felt like a KitchenAid mixer. Was browsing through Tastespotting and saw this recipe on steamed egg cake which I immediately wanted to try.  The last one I did was not bad but I am eager to try out a new recipe. Bits of Taste recommends to whisk the egg by hand. As I was also lazy to wash the mixer, I decided to try whisking it myself. Bad mistake. After 5 minutes of whisking my right arm felt very sore. I switched to the left side but felt that it was too awkward. There was only one thought in my head. Man, I need really strong arms (or in this case a strong right arm). Of course, I have heard many stories about how the italian grannies can whisk  up egg whites into stiff peaks by hand. Well, firstly, I ain’t italian and secondly, I ain’t a granny either. Also, if i can whisk up stiff egg white by hand, I would render my Kenwood mixer useless no? Maybe I should start creaming my sugars by hand too…

I did not follow the recipe very closely as I did not have any milk on hand. Instead, I added 1 tablespoon of oil and 4 tablespoons of water. The result was not bad. Mom was telling me that I need a good (bamboo) steaming lid to get a beautifully raised cake. I proudly told her I whisked the eggs myself. She rolled her eyes and said that she can’t tell the difference. Oh well.

Steamed Egg Cake
(Adapted from Bits of Taste)

3 eggs
100g castor sugar
150gm cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp vegetable oil
4 tbsp water

1. Line a 20cm tray with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Whisk sugar & eggs at high speed for about 15 mins or until batter thickens and turns a pale yellow. The volume will more than double.

3. Sift flour and baking powder together.

4. Stir in the flour mixture half at a time until just combined.

5. Add in the oil and water. Mix to combine. If you find that batter is too thick, add another tablespoon of water.

6. Pour batter into the prepared tray.

7. Boil a pot of hot boiling water. Steam the batter at high heat for 15 mins or until the skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

8. Remove the cake immediately. Cool before cutting. Serves 4.

Looking forward

Last Friday marked the last day of work at my old firm (one of the Big 4, though I won’t say which). To be honest, I don’t feel anything as I have not been working for the past 2 weeks. Going back on Friday was simply to return the company’s laptop and other stuff, as well as to complete the exit interview. I declined the farewell lunch my colleagues suggested as I was never particularly close with them (don’t get me wrong, they are really nice people). Perhaps due to the long period of non-working, I unconciously felt that I have already left the firm. In a way, I am grateful for the opportunities that the firm has given me, for I won’t be able to get such a great (new) job if it weren’t for where I am before. Still, I can’t help but feel disappointed with the firm. Oh well, since its over, there is no point talking about it. Looking forward to having a better work life balance. Meeting new people. Enjoying challenges at the new place. Most importantly, more time for baking!

My beloved oven is still down so I can’t get any baking done. Just to share with you a simple tea that us asians like to brew to combat the hot weather. Chrysanthemum is a type of flower that can be boiled to make a tea and purported to help in the recovery of influenza due to its cooling properties. In terms of TCM (traditional chinese medicine), chrysanthemum tea is also used to treat blurring vision and dizziness. The tea has a subtle floral scent and is deep yellow in color. Rock sugar is added toweeten the tea, making it a great and refreshing drink in summer. Chrysanthemum is fairly common and you should be able to find it at your nearest asian supermarket, or the asian section of your grocery.

Chrysanthemum Tea

1 package of chrysanthemum

Rock sugar, as desired (depending on how sweet you want)

1. Bring a medium pot of water to boil. Add in the chrysanthemum and simmer for 20 minutes.

2. Add rock sugar. Stir occasionally and continue to simmer until all the rock sugar is dissolved. Sift out the flowers before drinking. Can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days.