Gula Melaka Chiffon Cake

I have not baked chiffon cake for a long time and the other day suddenly had an urge to bake and eat one. While flipping through my cook books in search of the flavour to bake, I recalled having some good quality gula melaka in my pantry, gifted by Alan of Travelling Foodies who hand carried them back from Melaka few months back. Aha, Gula Melaka Chiffon Cake sounds really appealing and I could already imagine the aroma of gula melaka filling my kitchen!

After searching on the internet and comparing recipes, I realised that most of the recipes (Passionate About Baking, Baking Taitai, My Baking Cottage, Through the Kitchen Door, Baking Diary ) are very similar to one another. Since it is proven to be the "standard" having tried and tested by so many bakers, I have to give it a try too, but with some slight modifications.

My modifications:

• Instead of using packet UHT coconut milk, I used fresh coconut milk.
• Instead of 140g of plain flour, I used 135g because that's all I have left.
• I used 3 tbsp of grapeseed oil and replaced 1 tbsp with coconut oil.
• I also added a tsp of rum, because I think rum complements gula melaka well and would enhance the overall flavour of the cake.

Gula Melaka Chiffon Cake
(makes one 22cm cake)

Ingredients

• 100ml fresh coconut milk
• 150g gula melaka, shaved
• 135g plain flour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 6 egg yolks
• 3 tbsp grapeseed oil
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp rum (optional)
• 6 egg whites
• 40g caster sugar
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 150 degree celsius (top/bottom heat). Prepare a 22cm chiffon tube pan (wash and dry thoroughly, do not grease).
2. Heat coconut milk and gula melaka in a small pot over low heat, stirring continuously till all the gula melaka is melted. Set aside to cool down.
3. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl, set aside.
4. In a large bowl, add the egg yolks, grapeseed oil and coconut oil, whisk till blended.
5. Gradually pour in the gula melaka coconut milk mixture, whisk till blended. If desired, add rum and whisk till blended.
6. Stir in the flour mixture and mix gently until just incorporated. Set the batter aside.
7. In a mixing bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tartar till foamy (medium high speed), gradually add the caster sugar and beat till stiff peak.
8. Add 1/3 of the egg white meringue into the batter, fold gently till just incorporated. Then add another 1/3, again fold gently till just incorporated.
9. Pour all the batter back into the mixing bowl that contains the remaining 1/3 egg white meringue, fold gently till just incorporated.
10. Pour the chiffon batter into the chiffon pan. Gently shake and then tap the pan on the counter a few times to remove air bubbles.
11. Bake at 150C top/bottom heat for 50-55mins.
12. Once baked, remove from oven, turn over the chiffon pan and let it cool down completely before unmoulding the cake.
13. The cake is best eaten the next day (for flavours to develop).

I must say I really enjoyed the cake! It was moist, tender and fluffy with rich flavour and alluring fragrance of gula melaka and coconut milk. The hubs also liked it, but somehow the kiddo didn't like it (he didn't even want to taste it, probably coz the cake didn't look visually appealing?).

Always, the recipe is a keeper and I'm definitely baking it again when I have cravings for chiffon cake.