Chelsea's Hojicha Chiffon Cake with Cheese Foam

Blog contribution by Chelsea, Digital Creator.

Chiffon cake is one of my favourite cakes because of its airy texture. This cake is made with simple ingredients, such as eggs, vegetable oil, flour and water. Its spongy form is leavened by meringue while vegetable oil keeps the cake moist.

Unlike other green tea, hojicha is roasted at a high temperature to turn the leaf colour into a reddish-brown and have a nicely roasted taste. The unique smoky taste of hojicha would be a perfect match with the light texture of chiffon cake. What you need is some finely processed hojicha to make a cake with a good strong aroma and taste. With the special processing method, hojicha has a low caffeine content and thus it would be suitable to serve as a good dessert for after dinner!

We all know that chiffon is not the easiest cake to make, but I have included all of the tips to set you up for success. And patience is key! I also included the recipe of cheese foam, which would be more than just a cherry on top for the cake! (It also helps to hide any flaws of the cake).

A 6-inch cake pan recipe has been prepared for you as it is the perfect size for any casual friend gathering.

Ingredients:

Yields a 6-inch cake. You will need a hand-held mixer and 6-inch chiffon cake pan with a removable bottom.

Cake:

• 4 Egg Whites
• 65g Sugar (~½ cup)
• Few drops Lemon Juice
• 4 Egg Yolks
• 40g Cake Flour (~⅓ cup)
• 15g Hojicha Powder (~2 tbsp.)
• 55g Corn Oil, or another substitute (~¼ cup)
• 55g Water (~¼ cup)

Cheese Foam:

• 110g Heavy Cream (~½ cup)
• 40g Milk (~2-½ tbsp.)
• 25g Cream Cheese (~2 tbsp.)
• 25g Condensed Milk (~2 tbsp.)
  
  

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 330F/165C.
2. Wash and dry a 6-inch pan to ensure it’s grease free.
3. Sift cake flour and hojicha powder into a bowl.
4. Add oil, egg yolks and water to the dry ingredients, and mix well.
5. In another large mixing bowl, add a few drops of lemon juice to the egg whites, and beat until medium while adding sugar in three portions.
6. Gently fold in egg whites in three portions with a spatula into the batter. Avoid stirring.
7. Pour batter into the pan gradually and tap the pan a few times to get rid of any large air bubbles.
8. Bake at 330F for 20 minutes and then decrease heat to 310F for an additional 20 minutes.
9. Tap the pan after taking it out from the oven.
10. Invert pan and cool the cake completely before unmolding.
11. Unmold the cake by cutting around the edges and let cool.

Cheese Foam:

1. Beat cream cheese and condensed milk to smooth.
2. Add milk and cream, and beat to 60% stiff.
3. Chill the cheese foam for an hour in the fridge.
4. Spread the cheese foam onto the cake generously and enjoy!