Matcha Ogura Cake

I fell in love with the ogura cake ever since I saw Shar's post on milo ogura cake. The name belies its origins from a bakery chain in Batu Pahat. The story tells about Kak Faridah (who lived in Batu Pahat) pining for her Japanese abang, Ogura-san (who died tragically but Kak Faridah didn't know that) and she baked a "xiang si cake" for him.

Story aside, the Kitchen Tigress's post on ogura cakes is a must-read before trying! It has lots of useful tips. The recipe is used is adapted from Food@Home Sweet Home and Peng's kitchen.

Ingredients
6 egg yolks + 1 whole egg
65g corn oil
80ml milk
65g cake flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp matcha in 30ml hot water

6 egg whites
75g castor sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar

Method
1. Preheat oven to 160^oC. Prepare a tray of water at the bottom of the oven (I used the lowest rack to bake the cake).

2. Whisk egg yolks, whole egg, corn oil, milk, salt and matcha tea until well combined.

3. Sift in flour and stir till smooth batter formed.

4. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy using an electric whisk. Add in sugar in 2 additions and beat until firm peaks are formed. The peak formed doesn't flop over but it's not overly stiff either.

5. Fold in 1/3 of the beaten whites into matcha batter and mix evenly. Pour into balanced whites and fold evenly.

6. Pour batter into a baking paper-lined (only at the bottom) 9" square pan. Bang the tin on the counter top 3 times each side to get rid of big air bubbles. 

7. Steam bake at 160^oC for 55-60 min or when skewer comes out clean.

8. Remove from oven and invert immediately on cooling rack for 10 min. Unmould, peel off baking paper and cool completely.

Useful notes:

*Some recommend baking at 160^oC for 40 mins then reducing temperature to 140^oC for 25+ mins to prevent cracks.

*It is important not to overfill the tin, leaving about 1 inch from the top.

*Steam baking helps to prevent cracks so ensure sufficient boiling water in the bottom pan.

*I may have overwhipped the meringue slightly as the pores are quite big and not as fine as it should be.


I think I'm in love with the cake! It's truly so soft, moist, bendable and addictive!

With love,

Susanne