Thai Tea Chiffon Cake - Recipe by Patti Chimkire

Ingredients

Thai tea cream frosting:

400 g cream
15 g loose-leaf Thai tea
80 g sweetened condensed milk

Thai tea chiffon cake:

25 g loose-leaf Thai tea
200 g boiling water
270 g egg whites
5 g cream of tartar
250 g caster sugar
40 g cornflour
15 g baking powder
3 g sea salt
120 egg yolks
120 g vegetable oil

Method

Warm the cream and tea leaves in a saucepan over medium heat until the cream just starts to simmer. As soon as bubbles form, remove from the heat. Leave the tea to steep in the warm cream for about 10 minutes.

Strain the steeped cream into a small bowl, discarding the tea leaves. Place plastic wrap onto the surface of the cream to prevent a skin forming. Place bowl in fridge to cool.

Preheat oven to 150 C. Place 15 g of tea leaves in a tea infuser and set it in a heatproof bowl. Pour boiling water over tea leaves, place bowl in fridge and leave to steep for 20 minutes until completely cool. Remove the infuser.

Grind the remaining 10 g of tea leaves into a fine powder and set aside.

Place egg whites in a mixer with cream of tartar and half the sugar. Mix until sugar has dissolved. Chill the bowl in the fridge for 20 minutes or freezer for 10 minutes.

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Whip the chilled egg whites in a mixer until soft white peaks form.

Place the remaining sugar and egg yolks into a bowl and whisk until mixture turns pale. Add oil, tea powder and brewed tea, whisk until incorporated.

Sift the dry ingredients into the egg yolk mixture in three additions. Whisk until batter is just combined. Gently fold in the meringue in thirds.

Pour batter into a cake tin and bake for 55-60 minutes, until the top is golden and the cake starts to pull away from the sides and centre of the tin.

Cool for several hours. Just before serving, combine the tea-infused cream and condensed milk in a mixer and whip for 1-2 minutes on medium until peaks form.

Spoon whipped tea cream evenly over the cake.

Credits: Mali Bakes by Patti Chimkire, published by Smith Street Books, AUD$59.99, available October 28.

Photo Credits: Mali Bakes by Patti Chimkire, published by Smith Street Books, AUD$59.99, available October 28.