Palm Sugar Chiffon Cake

I know I may not have invented this palm sugar chiffon cake, but this is my own version, adapted from Alex Goh’s chiffon cakes. Palm sugar or Gula Melaka Chiffon Cake.

This cake is rather sturdy, I’d say. I was away when this cake finished baking. I forgot about time.
When I came back, the oven was off, and luckily the chiffon cake stood still in its pan. I quickly inverted it. That’s why I have that dense line in the middle of the cake. If I did invert it immediately, it will have a perfect texture.

The gula Melaka smell isn’t that strong, coconut milk smell also seem sublime. If I don’t tell u that this is made with palm sugar and coconut milk, I don’t think u’d be able to guess. But Mike's relatives loved this and found this to me very aromatic. Different noses.. maybe I sniffed this cake to much while handling it, I was numbed by it. But whatever aroma it exudes, it has overpowered whatever eggy smell that high egg content cakes have. So, it’s still ok.

I will make this again.

Palm Sugar Chiffon Cake Recipe
4 egg whites
1/8 tsp salt
½ tsp cream of tartar
80gm sugar

4 egg yolks
2 Tbsp corn oil
200ml coconut milk
100gm palm sugar, cooked on low heat with 50ml water until dissolved.
150gm cake flour
1/3 tsp sodium bicarbonate

1. Preheat oven at 180/170(fan)C.
2. Combine cooked palm sugar with coconut milk. Set aside
3. Combine egg yolks with oil and half of (2).
4. Sift half of cake flour and sodium bicarb over (3). Mix well with a wire whisk.
5. Sift remaining cake flour and sodium bicarb over batter and mix. Whem mixture is all smooth, put in remaining (2).
6. In another clean bowl, beat egg whites with sugar until frothy. Add in Cream of tartar and beat until stiff. Add in sugar gradually and beat until really stiff.
7. Fold ¼ of beaten egg whites into (5), fold.
8. Repeat step 7.
9. Pour the whole batter into remaining egg whites and fold to combine.
10. Pour batter into a tube pan and bake for 40mins.
11. Invert immediately after removal from oven. Leave to cool overturned completely before removing from mould

Malaysian Palm Sugar or Gula Melaka, dark and aromatic.