Vietnamese Coffee Flan Cake

Ingredients

Caramel:

100 g water
200 g caster sugar

Vanilla sponge:

90 g egg whites
1 g cream of tartar
80 g caster sugar
60 g plain flour
10 g cornflour
1 g baking powder
1 g sea salt
60 g egg yolks
30 g vegetable oil
60 g evaporated milk
4 g vanilla bean paste

Vietnamese coffee flan:

16 g instant arabica coffee grounds
15 g boiling water
400 g evaporated milk
1 g sea salt
150 g eggs
60 g egg yolks

Method

Caramel:

Warm sugar in a small saucepan with water stirring gently until the sugar is moistened. Place over medium heat and cook for 10-12 minutes, until the sugar turns a medium amber colour. Avoid stirring the caramel as it can cause the sugar to crystalise.

As soon as it is ready, pour it into a cake tin, swirl the caramel around to coat the bottom of the tin and about 2 cm up the sides. Set the tin aside.

Vanilla sponge:

Place egg white in a mixer bowl with cream of tartar and half the sugar. Mix until sugar is dissolved. Place in fridge to chill.

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Whip chilled bowl of egg mixture on low, then gradually increase to medium and whip for about 2 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high and whip for another 2-3 minutes.

Place remaining caster sugar and egg yolks in a large bowl and whip until mixture turns pale and the sugar has dissolved.

Stir the dry ingredients into the egg yolk mixture in three additions. Gently fold in meringue in three additions and mix until just incorporated.

Coffee flan:

Whisk together coffee and boiling water. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.

Combine other flan ingredients and gently whisk together. Place a fine mesh strainer over a bowl and strain the eggs and egg yolks directly into the mixture. Add cooled coffee to flan mixture and whisk until fully incorporated. Set aside.

Strain the flan mixture into the cake tin. Fill a piping bag with the vanilla sponge batter and pipe the batter over the flan in a circular motion.

Place a wet tea towel in a deep roasting tray and place the cake tin on top. Pour enough hot water into the tray to come halfway up the side of the tin. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until the flan's internal temperature reaches 80 C on a digital thermometer.

Leave to cool for at least 2 hours at room temperature.

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.