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Friday, September 7, 2012

我也相思了, 相思蛋糕 (Xiang Si Chiffon Cake)


This cake is very popular amongst Chinese bloggers. I am not 1st time did this cake, actually i have did it for 5 times ( 3 failures and 2 success attempts). You can check in Mikiko's post and this post about the real Xiang Si cake which is famous in Batu Pahat.


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See my 1st attempted..cake rose too high and collapsed like nobody business. I tried with Yuzu powder and orange juices.. 




The 2nd attempted has better result, but the bottom of the cake shrunk a lot. After consulted to the owner cum chef of the bakery shop, she told me if line bottom with paper, can not invert for too long. And she also told me if using cake pan without tube or insert at the middle, have to beat egg white till stiff peak or close to stiff peak..Learnt two tips from her.
I did with chocolate flavour this time.





3rd attempted -Finally i got a success and perfect cake after i adjusted my oven temperature, every oven is difference, so you have to understand your oven..I did not line paper at all this time.


I placed 5 bowls of hot water underneath..


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No majar collaped..
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This time i share with you the detail steps of how to beat egg white till close to stiff peak 九分发. I found the important point to making a success Xiang Si Chiffon Cake is beat the right meringue and know your oven temperature..This recipe i measured the egg yolk and egg white accordingly to recipe, but the following recipes i just don't bother to measure anymore, all using 5 large eggs..

巧克力相思蛋糕 Chocolate Xiang Si Chiffon Cake
(recipe source; adapted from Siew Hwei who adapted from Baking Wonderland 的 Jasmine Ang, with my own method and little changes)
*for 8 “ square pan

A)
15g cocoa powder
25g hot water
1/4tsp chocolate emulco (optional)

B)
45g corn oil
55g milk
A pinch of salt
100g egg yolk (5 large eggs + 1 medium egg)
1 whole egg (medium)
65g super fine flour

C)
200g egg white (5 large eggs + 1 medium egg)
65g castor sugar
1/2tsp cream of tartar or 1/2tsp lemon juices

Method:
1. Pre-heat oven to 150C and place racking at the 2nd from lowest.
2. Mix ingredients (A) in a small bowl, stir well and set aside.
3. Add whole egg with egg yolks, lightly stir well with hand whisk.
4. Add in corn oil, milk and cocoa mixture (No1), mix well.
5. Add in cocoa mixture (No1), combine well.
6. Sift in flour and combine well.
7. To beat egg white till 九分发 (close to stiff peaks) ~timing stated below just for your reference, every hand mixer works differently.
a. Separate the eggs while they are cold fridge. Cold eggs are easier to separate because the white is thicker. Let the egg whites stand at room temperature while you are preparing the egg yolk batter.
b. Add cream of tartar or lemon juices into egg white, beat till foamy 鱼眼泡 (30 sec over speed 3)
c. Add in 1/3 sugar, beat till smooth (30 sec over speed 3)
d. Add in 1/3 sugar, beat till double in volume (30 sec over speed 3)
e. Add in the balance 1/3 sugar, beat till smooth meringue (60 sec over speed 3) 八分发
f. Continue to beat ( speed 3 ) till九分发 that meringue is smooth and glossy and close to stiff peaks (十分发 / 硬性发泡). The tip is stand straight but with little crook at the end of tip.
8. Pour hot water into 5 small metal bowls, place under the lower rack.
9. Take 1/3 meringue and mix with egg yolk batter using a hand whisk. Change to spatula, fold in 1/3 of meringue till combine, then fold in balance 1/3 meringue and lightly mix well. Pour batter into a removable bottom square pan (don’t need to line with paper but wrap foil at the bottom ), lightly tap on countertop to remove air bubbles.
10. Bake at 150C for 30mins, increase to 160C and bake for another 30mins.
11. Invert the cake after baking, remove the cake after 15mins (Do not wait for too long, otherwise the heat will evaporate and turn to water and the cake bottom will became wet). Let it continue to cool completely on a wire rack before cutting the cake.

4th attempted- i bought another 7" square pan as I noticed the 8" cake don't have clear and nice wire rack pattern after inverted. I still followed the 8" cake recipe but the 7" cake was cracked like nobody business. I suspected i have to adjust the oven temperature for smaller cake. Sorry, i was too upset and did not take photo this time. Actuall now i understand why my cake don't have very nice and deep wire rack pattern, because i have taller cake pans.


5th attempted -Today i tried again with this dual colours of Xiang Si Chiffon cake, and this time I tried with the method from plain sponge cake recipe which is without steam bake. And i am glad with the result is equal to steam bake . So i dont need to place water underneath anymore..

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My daughter like this dual flavours..Even without waterbath or steambath method, this cake still very moist, soft and light.

双色抹茶可可相思蛋糕 Matcha and Chocolate Xiang Si Chiffon Cake
(recipe source: adapted from Chrystal 厨房找快乐, with my own method )
*for a 7 “ square pan

50g corn oil
60g milk
A pinch of salt
5 large eggs
1 whole egg (medium)
70g super fine flour

1tbsp green tea powder + 10g water, mix and set asde
1tbsp cocoa powder + 10g water, mix and set aside

5 large egg white
80g castor sugar
1/2tsp cream of tartar or 1/2tsp lemon juices

Method:
1. Pre-heat oven to 140C and place racking at the 2nd from lowest.
2. Add whole egg with egg yolks, lightly stir well with hand whisk.
3. Add in corn oil, then followed by milk, mix well.
4. Add in salt and flour, combine well. Equal divide into two portions.
5. To beat egg white till 九分发 (close to stiff peaks) ~timing stated below just for your reference, every hand mixer works differently. Total time spent about 5-6mins
a. Separate the eggs while they are cold fridge. Cold eggs are easier to separate because the white is thicker. Let the egg whites stand at room temperature while you are preparing the egg yolk batter.
b. Add cream of tartar or lemon juices into egg white, beat till foamy 鱼眼泡 (30 sec over speed 3)
c. Add in 1/3 sugar, beat till smooth (30 sec over speed 3)
d. Add in 1/3 sugar, beat till double in volume (30 sec over speed 3)
e. Add in the balance 1/3 sugar, beat till smooth meringue (60 sec over speed 3) 八分发
f. Continue to beat ( speed 3 ) till九分发 that meringue is smooth and glossy and close to stiff peaks (十分发 / 硬性发泡). The tip is stand straight but with little crook at the end of tip.
6. Equally divide meringue into two equal portions. Add one portion of meringue with cocoa batter and fold well using spatula. Add another portion of meringue into green tea batter and fold well using spatula.
7. Pour batter into a removable bottom square pan (don’t need to line with paper), lightly tap on countertop to remove air bubbles.
8. Bake at 140C for 25mins, increase to 160C and bake for another 35mins.
9. Invert the cake after baking, remove the cake after 15mins (Do not wait for too long, otherwise the heat will evaporate and turn to water and the cake bottom will became wet). Let it continue to cool completely on a wire rack before cutting the cake.



64 comments:

Choi Yen said...

Why it called相思蛋糕?

Joceline Lor said...

你太perfect了!确实是无三不成礼。哈哈哈~

我啊!错过了那个penang虾面了。嘻嘻~

Yannie said...

So successful Sonia. Thanks for the detailed explanation to beat the egg mixture. I will sure refer to this page if I am going to take the challenge. By the way, is cream of tatar important in this recipe? can I omit it?

zila norazila said...

hi sonia.
cantik..dan sangat lembut..u memang pandai buat kek lolz:)

Mel said...

Two recipes in one post! I noticed that this Xiang Si cake is quite well known too apart from Hokkaido Chiffon Cake. Oh dear, another cake I might have a hard time on again! The chocolate one you baked it so beautiful. It must be very yummy.

Mich - Piece of Cake said...

I love the texture and the dual tone of the cake. I still have no courage to do chiffon yet... Thanks for the tips, will study them in detail for later on.

PH said...

Sonia, after a few practice, your cake turned out so well. Very good lah, next time I can attempt this one.

Li Shuan said...

Sonia, you are so persistence to make the xiangsi right, 佩服佩服!At last u got it right. Very good looking texture xiangsi. Actually I tried to use chiffon ingredients to steam bake and they came out good too. But I don't know how to name them already....maybe missing u cake or I love u cake etc ...haha....that day I 爽爽try out 2 eggs chiffon with steam bake method n it works.

Sonia ~ Nasi Lemak Lover said...

Yan, yes, you can omit cream of tartar but i suggest you replace with lemon juices..

ping said...

I admire you, Sonia, for having the guts to keep trying. I would have given up after 2 attempts :)
I doubt I'll try this at all seeing it's so fussy to make. I'll just sit here and admire yours!

ann low said...

Sonia, I'm also sooo...相思 but still got no time to make this cake because there are many items to be made on my list. :D

irene myme said...

真佩服你的毅力和屡败屡战的精神。
给你多多的赞哦!!

eileenlml.blogspot.com said...

成功就是留给像你这样有毅力的人,佩服极了!

鲸鱼蓝蓝蓝 said...

佩服你的实战精神
太厉害了:)
也替自己高兴
因为有幸吃到你的蛋糕

Cass @ 揾到食 said...

Thanks for sharing the tips :)
I hv yet to try this xiang xi cake. Busy with mooncake recently

Min said...

Sonia, I really admire you! You tried so many times, if me, I think I will give up easily already. Love your dual colour xiang si cake, soft and moist :)

Eileen, Hundred Eighty Degrees said...

Hi Sonia, what a coincidence, I've also posted 相思蛋糕!Yours look so perfect. Thanks for detailing the 九分发, I will follow yours one day :)

Gloria Baker said...

Sonia what lovely chiffon cake!!

Imo Teo said...

看了过后,我也好相思啊~^^

Alice said...

hi Sonia, i'm keen in trying this cake, but I'm not confident
thks for the highlights, will keep those in mind the next time i give this cake a try :)

Alice said...

hi Sonia, i'm keen in trying this cake, but I'm not confident
thks for the highlights, will keep those in mind the next time i give this cake a try :)

Unknown said...

Really great reference for making 想思cake. Thanks for all the tips and photos. Very helpful!

Unknown said...

u cake is perfect o. i done three time already, but still cant get the best result. my cake cant rise at the bottom. is that the temperature problem? i pening kepala fikir .... still done get the answer.

Baby Sumo said...

Wow you really perfected the cake... I like the dual one also, cos the colour is very nice! Texture looks so fluffy too.

Little Corner of Mine said...

I loved the dual colors, make it extra pretty!

daphne said...

You have the ultimate patience. But i bet it is worthwhile when u perfected it! I love the dual colours!

Nadji said...

Des recettes toujours délicieuses.
Ce gâteau est magnifique. Bravo!

spdong said...

佩服妳那股越战越勇的精神~
感谢妳详细的做法和提示,尤其还备注了华文的解析,我。。。爱死妳啦~

老实讲,自从我吃了妳的想思蛋糕后,妳还真的让我害相思涅~哈哈!

Artsylicious said...

Sonia, very nice cake, finally! Good job! p/s: may I know where did you buy the 7" square pan?

cherry potato said...

我很佩服你那永不气馁的精神!!

双色的相思蛋糕好漂亮!

0620 said...

Congratulation leh
You made it at last :)

You are a smart learner!!

Sonia ~ Nasi Lemak Lover said...

Siew, I bought in KLANG but I feel the pan is a bit tall so still can not get nice inverted pattern , drop me an email if you want to know the address.

Kimmy said...

Hi Sonia, would be glad if you can tell me what's the difference between Xiang Si and Souffle cake. I'm quite confused because the ingredients and methods are almost the same.

Passionate About Baking said...

Hi Sonia,
Thanks for sharing your experience! Aiya, I should have read your blog post before I attempted my cake today. My cake was similar to your attempt #2, where I left it over turned for too long and it caused a dent in the bottom. Now I learnt. Thanks very much for sharing. Must follow yours closely the next time. Love your matcha and chocolate one very much. I shall attempt it the next round. Thanks very much for sharing!

Sonia ~ Nasi Lemak Lover said...

Kimmy, I never make souffle cake before, if i were look in Okashi's book, the souffle recipe is cooking flour with butter as to weakens the gluten content in the flour, resulted a light cake. So both recipe's method are difference. So you just remind me i have to try Okashi recipe soon.

Ana Regalado said...

Try and try until you get it right ?! lol As always I'm so amazed at your dogged determination ! :D Great job , Sonia ! Now , if I only I can grab some of that ! *sigh* ;D

John Ailen said...
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Unknown said...
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Jessie-CookingMoments said...

You are hilarious, I like how you said the cake collapsed like no body's business, hahaha! Will take all your tips into my consideration if making this in the future. Must we invert the cake to get the line pattern? I also like the duo-coloured combination as my 1st chiffon that was baked in a chiffon pan was also made with duo-colour but I haven't posted yet.

Fern @ To Food With Love said...

After all these years in BP, I've never heard of xiang si chiffon cake before. Gosh I have to look for it when I go back. Your cake looks wonderful! What's the difference between this and other chiffon/sponge cakes?

Quay Po Cooks said...

I used to be very afraid to make chiffon cake but after making the Hokkaido Chiffon Cupcakes so many times, I have overcome that fear. I will definitely try this one. The saying is so true, as long as you don't give up, you will get it in due time.

Nami | Just One Cookbook said...

Sonia, kudos to your determination to succeed! I'm very impressed but at the same time I should know you are such a famous and amazing blogger because of your good recipe and your generosity to share your experience. I enjoyed reading your several attempts and I'm just really impressed by you right now. The cakes look amazing!!

Bakericious said...

I also 相思, looks so delicious.

Yummy Bakes said...

I have also book-marked this but havent got the time to try it out. Thanks for sharing your experiences.

Casey said...

好赞的相思,你好有恒心,做了那么多次;我那天做了一次不成功,到现在都还没有再战,找天我要再做。
:)

Cosy Bake said...

Wow, a perfect Xiang si cake!! I have fail 3 times since I caught the Xiang si 'bug' , have been looking around blogs for more tips and 'remedies' . You are so kind to share your tips and methods.... I will not give up! Shall tag along with your energy and make my forth one that shall be a successful one next! Thanks!!

Lori said...

I always have a difficult time getting egg whites just right. You have been so persistent, and with great results. I love the the two-color version!

lena said...

appreciate all your helpful tips here, i will hv to comeback to this page if i make this cake one day. thank you!

Joelyn said...

This post is so nice! Thank you for the tips, I am still afraid to try for now but will do so once I am more confident don't want to end up throwing failed cakes away.

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...
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Unknown said...

Hello, i'hv followed your recipe, thnx for this. But i encountered some problems if you could please help me out. The surface of my cake turn out nicely but once i remove the cake to be inverted, it deflats. I estime my egg white was beaten between soft and stiff peak(10 mins). The point of the egg white still got a curl on it. This was my5th attempt and i still couldn't make right. Thanx in advance.

Goody Egg said...

Is superfine flour same as Hongkong flour?

Sonia ~ Nasi Lemak Lover said...

Yuet Swee, try baking without steam bake , follow the method no 5, first bake at low temp at lower rack then increase temp at later part. Let me know if you still have problem .

Kium, no they are not the same . HK flour is highly bleach and less gluten . You can get this flour from Tesco or you can replace with cake flour or top flour .

Goody Egg said...

Very good post. I want to try this weekend, I assume the height of the cake pan is 3"? Tks

Goody Egg said...
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Unknown said...

Thank you sonia, i have baked it again and the cake did not deflate but the bottom of my cake got a hollow... Is it because of the temperature too high? Thank you in advance.

Rusti said...

Hi Sonia
May I know where to find the Yuzu powder I'm Singapore..
Thanks
Ginny

Rusti said...

Hi Sonia
May I know where to find the Yuzu powder I'm Singapore..
Thanks
Ginny

Sonia ~ Nasi Lemak Lover said...

Rusti, I got it at Kyoto Japan. Maybe you can try to get it at Isetan.

Anonymous said...

Hi Sonia,
In your basic plain sponge cake recipe, you specifically said not to use non-stick cake pan. Is it the same for this xiang si cake?

Cheers,
Tammy

Sonia ~ Nasi Lemak Lover said...

Tammy, Yes, for xiang si cake also use Not a non-stick cake pan.

Unknown said...

Hi sonia,

After cooling the cake 15 mins, we have to remove the cake from the cake pan and further cooling the cake on the cooling rack, right ? my question is the cake at that time is it still invert or just normal (top is facing up) ? please help, thank you.

Anonymous said...

Sonia, what's the difference between this cake and chiffon cake besides the water bath method for this cake?
Thanks Ling

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