As usual, some tips to help you bake the best cake possible:
* Using a hand whisky to light beat the eggs is enough.
* When beating the egg whites, make sure you beat it until it is really stiff. The stiffer the better as you will get a fluffy cake so keep on beating.
* Don't be afraid to fold in the whites until it is fully mixed into the yolk mixture.
* Definitely do not fill the cake tin more than 3/4 full as it really rises.
* You must let the cake cool upside down in the tin to enable it to stiffen and stay risen.
* DO NOT OIL OR GREASE THE PAN. The chiffon sticks to the pan enabling it to rise.
* I do use a chiffon mould but have made chiffons successfully in regular cake tins.
Pandan Chiffon with Durian Fudge
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS
For the cake
7 eggs, separated (note: if you have large eggs, only use 6)
220g flour
275g caster sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon pandan extract
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
Durian Fudge Icing
This quantity is enough to ice one cake
INGREDIENTS
400g coconut cream (99% or 100% cream, look on label)
20g custard powder
4 tbsp durian jam flavouring (2 teaspoon pandan extract and 80g caster sugar for pandan fudge)
Dessicated coconut to decorate
METHOD
Pandan Chiffon
1. Preheat oven to 160°C and set aside a chiffon ring tin.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar with an electric mixer to stiff peaks. If you have a stand mixer, leave this going and move onto the egg yolks.
3. In a different large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
4. In a third large bowl, whisk together the pandan extract and water until mixed, then whisk in the egg yolks, oil, and vinegar. It just needs to be combined and not whipped.
5. Add the wet ingredients to the flour and whisk until well combined.
6. Using a large spoon or spatula, fold in a spoonful of the egg whites to the cake mixture to lighten it. Add the rest of the egg whites to the cake mixture and fold in with your spoon until just combined.
7. Pour the batter into your cake tin and bang it on your work surface a couple of times to bring any large air bubbles to the surface. (Note: if there is a lot of batter, don't add it all to the tin. You only want to fill it to 3/4 full. If you have extra, put them into cupcake liners and make small cakes. Small cupcake sized ones need to be baked for 15 minutes only.)
8. Bake for about 40-45 minutes, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
9. Remove from the oven and immediately invert the entire tin and cake upside down until it's cool - you can do this by resting the middle of the tube over a bottle, or (if your cake isn't too tall) by placing it over a high wire rack that will let air circulate underneath.
10. To release the cake, run a palette knife around the edge of the cake and the tin. You will want to serve the cake upside down as it's prettier that way.
Durian Fudge
11. Mix all ingredients together in a saucepan and bring to boil over medium heat.
12. Stir till it thickens. Immediately coat cake with the warm fudge.
13 Decorate with dessicated coconut.
