Earl grey chiffon cake

I love earl grey tea, especially as a morning tea, smell very good. Actually I love the taste so much that I want to make a cake!

I found this recipe suits me because I have earl grey tea leaves at home.

Ingredients (for 7" mould, I used 6")
2tsp Earl grey tea leaves

1tbsp Earl grey tea leaves
4tbsp/60ml hot water (prepare more than 60ml hot water)

3 egg yolks
28g sugar
3tbsp vegetable oil
75g cake flour*
1tsp baking powder

3 egg whites
57g sugar

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* Take 3/4 cup of all-purpose flour, remove 1 1/2 tbsp, and then add back 1 1/2 tbsp of corn starch. Make sure to mix well the flour

Decoration - see step 12

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven at 160°c

2. Blend 2tsp Earl grey tea leaves in a small food processor and grind them to fine powder
Set aside

3. Place 1 tbsp Earl grey tea leaves in a fine sieve in a bowl

Pour 60ml hot water into the bowl to make strong tea

After cooling down, drain and ensure you have 4tbsp/60 ml Earl grey tea

Set aside

4. In a large mixing bowl, separate 3 eggs : whites and yolks

Whisk 3 egg yolks and 28g sugar

5. Add vegetable oil and tea, mix well

Add tea powder in the egg mixture and mix well

6. Add in cake flour and baking powder into the egg yolk mixture

 Whisk until totally incorporated - should be no lumps!

7. In a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites & 57g sugar on medium speed until the egg white becomes foamy and with soft peaks, then beat it at high speed until it forms stiff peaks

Techniques for beating egg white, click here.

8. With the help of a spatula, fold in 1/3 egg whites to the egg yolk mixture, with fast and light motion

Fold in the rest of the egg whites, again with fast and light motion

9. Pour the mixture into the ungreased chiffon cake mould, drop gently a few times (you can also run a knife around mould to remove excessive big air bubbles)

10. Bake in the middle rack of the oven for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean

The cake must be cooled upside down in its pan, on a cooling rack, 

Note: The gravity helps the cake holds its shape and it won't collapse

Let it cool completely

11. Run a thin sharp knife around both the outer and inner edge of the cake, as well as the bottom. Then tap the cake out onto a serving plate.

12. You can fill the middle (hole) of the chiffon cake with vanilla mascarpone cream, click here to get the recipe.

Enjoy!