Camouflage Chiffon Cake with Chiffon Army Tank (Pandan, Matcha, Chocolate Chiffon)

This is a Camouflage-themed Chiffon Cake I made for a dear friend's son a while ago! The cake is entirely naturally colored, made from pandan, matcha and chocolate chiffon cake which are perfect for army colours! ;) The army tank, trees, trenches and rocks are also made from pandan and chocolate chiffon cake. I have previously shared how to make the Army Tank from chiffon cake, and the yummy honey matcha chiffon cake (on top). The tier cake is made like normal tier cakes using dowel supports. I used melted marshmallows to glue on all the chiffon cake decor. This is an SG50 year so what more apt to top it with our very own SG50 Army Lion :)!

One thing to note about making patterned or dual-or more-coloured chiffon cakes is that you really need to work very quickly for the meringue not to deflate so as to not compromise the quality and height of your chiffon cake. So plan and prepare everything well in advance.

Thank God my friend shared everyone loved the cake!

Camouflage Chiffon Cake
Ingredients (for 23 cm chiffon tin)
8 egg yolks (I used Chew's medium eggs)
53g sugar
106g vegetable oil
117ml water
160g cake flour
5 ml pandan paste
10g coconut cream powder
1.25 tsp matcha powder
1 tsp cocoa powder (extra dark)
½ tsp cocoa paste
A pinch of salt

11 egg whites
120g sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1. Preheat oven to 160°C. Prepare a tray of water at the bottom of the oven (I used the lowest rack to bake the cake). *You may omit steam baking; I like to use it because it makes my chiffon cakes soft and ogura-like.
2. Beat egg yolks with sugar with whisk till pale yellow before stirring in oil and water.
3. Next add in sieved flour and whisk till no trace of flour found.
4. Divide the batter into 3 (scoop out 25 tsp into another 2 bowls for matcha and chocolate chiffon). To the first bowl, add 1.25 tsp matcha powder dissolved in 1 tsp warm honey. To the second bowl, add 1 tsp cocoa powder (extra dark) and ½ tsp cocoa paste. Mix well. To the rest of the egg yolk batter, add 5 ml pandan paste, 10 g coconut cream paste and a pinch of salt for the pandan chiffon. Mix well.
5. Meringue: Beat the egg whites with ¼ tsp cream of tartar till stiff peak, mixing in caster sugar in 2 additions.
6. Divide the meringue into 3 (approximately 50 tbsp into matcha and chocolate batter). Gently but quickly fold in the meringue into the 3 batter.
7. Transfer 3 tbsp of the final matcha and chocolate batter into 2 piping bags. Cut a 3-5mm hole in each piping bag and pipe light green and brown camouflage spots at the base and sides of the tin. Bake for 2 min. *You need to work very fast for the meringue not to deflate.
8. Scoop and fill the remaining spaces with the pandan batter. *You may use up the remaining matcha and chocolate batter to create more patterns at the top.
9. Bake the chiffon cake for 15 min at 160°C and then at 150°C for 10 min, 140°C for 20 min and 130°C for 15 min. *The temperature decrease is to prevent browning from hiding the camou patterns.
10. Invert the chiffon cake once removed from oven.
11. Unmould the chiffon cake by hand gently (see 'Hand Unmoulding Chiffon Cake for Clean Finishing' Video tutorial).

Freshly unmoulded cake! Still very tall (phew!).

Happy belated birthday to Devon!

With lots of love,

Susanne