Mini Green Tea Chiffon Cakes

I'm not a big fan of green tea dessert because it can turn out to be a hit or miss! Sometimes green tea can taste pretty artificial if not done right! My boss/friend loves green tea desserts because they usually have a hint of sweetness to it. He's not a fan of anything overly sweet or indulgent! I had no idea what to get him for Christmas because he can buy everything he wants. His material things also happen to be out of my price range if you get my point! What better way to celebrate and give through what I do best?! I decided to find a recipe to make green tea cakes and came upon this one! As stated from the website I found this recipe from, buy high quality green tea powder that comes in an airtight and lightproof metal container. I highly encourage you to buy a scale for baking if you do not already own one as this recipe is a bit tough to try and convert. I only had jumbo eggs in the fridge, so it took about 3 eggs total to come to the correct measurement. I ended up having to scoop a bit of the egg whites out because it was over the amount called for. Measure out all ingredients beforehand to make the process easier!

Folding in the egg whites creates such a light, airy, and subtle yet delicious dessert!

Water bath for these delightful cakes! This keeps it from overcooking and burning. I purchased a Wilton Petite Loaf Pan to make my mini cakes, but if you happen to have an 8x5 inch loaf pan, you can just use that and follow the exact recipe from Kitchen Tigress if you do not want to make individual portions. Just make sure to use an aluminum pan that is NOT non-stick. Non-stick pans will not work for chiffon cakes!

See how the cakes pull away from the sides of the pan? No need for non-stick! I absolutely love these little cakes! Happy baking!

Yields: 9 mini cakes

Ingredients:

Cake

10 g castor sugar (superfine sugar, not to be confused with powdered sugar)

60 g egg yolks (about 3-4 egg yolks)

30 g corn oil

5 g good quality green tea powder

   add 20 g boiling water and mix until smooth, then add 30 g room temperature water and mix

   thoroughly; set aside to cool down

40 g cake flour

105 g egg whites (about 3-4 egg whites)

1/16 tsp cream of tartar

45 g castor sugar

Whipped Cream 

1/2 pint heavy whipping cream, chilled
1/3 cup of powdered sugar

1 tsp green tea powder

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to about 320 degrees F.

2. Measure out all ingredients for cake and prepare green tea as directed above.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk 10 g castor sugar with egg yolks until dissolved. Add corn oil and whisk until just combined. Add green tea and whisk until just thoroughly mixed. Sift cake flour into mixture and whisk until combined. The small lumps in the batter will disappear as you let the mixture sit so do not be concerned.

4. In a separate medium bowl, use a mixer to beat the egg whites until frothy. Add cream of tartar and continue to mix until thick foam forms. Gradually add 45 g castor sugar whilst still mixing. Continue to mix until firm peaks are achieved.

5. Use a spatula to mix the green tea batter a little. It should be smooth at this point. Add half of the egg whites and gently fold it into the batter until just combined. Add remaining egg whites and continue to fold with spatula until evenly mixed. Bang the bowl against the worktop a few times as you are folding the batter to get the air bubbles out.

6. Slowly pour the batter into each individual slot from about 12 inches high. This will allow more bubbles to escape, creating an evenly baked cake. Jiggle pan until the batter is level.

7. Place baking pan into a water bath and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, turning it halfway through the baking process. Take it out of the water bath and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the cake starts to pull away from the pan. Allow it to cool on the counter for 15 - 20 minutes before attempting to take them out of the pan using a butter knife. They should come out easily.

8. Whipped cream: Using a mixer, mix cream in a small/medium bowl until frothy. Add powdered sugar and continue whipping until it is thick enough to hold its shape. Add green tea powder and mix until evenly mixed and cream is stiff. Use a spatular to scrape the bowl down and to get all the air bubbles out of the whipped cream for a more dense texture.

9. Once completely cooled, frost the cakes with the whipped cream and enjoy!