Lychee Longevity Peach Chiffon Cake with Hidden Stuffed Lychee Dessert

My friend loved the longevity peach cake design I made for my grandma last year and wanted the same design for her father-in-law's birthday, but with a completely different flavour. Lychee flavour was requested so here's my version of longevity peach cake made entirely out of soft chiffon cake!

Previously before I figured out how to make chiffon cake peaches, I used snowskin mooncakes. It was a "slap-forehead" moment because the way to make chiffon peaches is similar to the snowskin version. Being an adventurous baker, as those of you who have followed our blog know, I decided to try something new with the hidden surprise inside the hole of the chiffon cake. I thought why not include a lychee flavoured dessert which is refreshing to be eaten with the cake, perhaps lychee stuffed with something. When I did a search on the internet, I only found lychees stuffed with cream cheese. I didn't think the elderly would appreciate that. So I experimented with lychee pudding, adapted from my Pandan kaya recipe but with lychee and a hint of rose flavour. It is so lovely I have to share it with you! My family members who tried it loved it very much! The rose water added here is to enhance the lychee flavour and not to overpower it so the rose flavour is mild. Because the amount of pudding stuffed in the lychees is small, you won't taste it much but I can imagine it served in larger proportions with succulent lychees!

I use good stuff in my bakes!

Longevity peaches
I changed the proportion of ingredients for the teeny peaches but method is the same as the one posted here. Here's the revised recipe.

Ingredients (makes 12 small and 6 medium peaches without green layer cake):
1 egg yolk
7g caster sugar
20g canola oil
20g lychee pureed in canned syrup
A few drops of rose water
30g cake flour
A pinch of salt
White gel food colouring

2 egg whites
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
20g caster sugar

Some photos of the process...

Shaping, spray painting and assembling

Completed peaches!

寿 patterned layer cake and chiffon cake
Ingredients (makes one 6x6" layer cake and one 17cm chiffon cake):
Egg yolk batter
4 egg yolks
12g caster sugar
53g canola/vegetable oil
53g lychee pureed in canned syrup
1/4 tsp rose water (optional but enhances flavour)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
80g + 1/2 tsp cake flour
1/8 tsp salt
2 tsp Queen's natural sourced yellow powder food colouring*
1/8 tsp red yeast powder
1 drop red gel food colouring

Meringue for pattern
1 egg white
Pinch of cream of tartar
12g caster sugar

Meringue for layer cake
1 egg white
Pinch of cream of tartar
10g caster sugar

Meringue for chiffon cake
4 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
40g caster sugar

*omit if don't have and replace with gel food colouring. Or omit colouring totally.

Steps:
1. Place a baking tray of water at bottom of oven (optional). Set rack to second lowest position. Preheat oven to 160°C. Place an inverted 寿 template under baking sheet/silicone mat in 6" baking tray. Lightly grease baking sheet/silicone mat to prevent the pattern from sticking. I used a bigger tray but for recording purposes I scale it down to 6" tray. Was lazy to cut another silicone mat :p.

2. Prepare egg yolk batter. Whisk egg yolk and sugar until pale and thick. Gradually add oil and whisk until well combined. Gradually add in lychee puree, rose water and vanilla extract. Mix well. Gradually whisk in 80g sifted flour and salt. Whisk until no trace of flour is seen.

3. Scoop out 1.5 tsp of egg yolk batter and add in red colouring, sifted red yeast powder and 1/2tsp cake flour. Add sifted yellow powder to the remaining egg yolk batter. Divide yellow batter into ratio of 1:4.

4. Prepare meringue for pattern. Beat egg white with cream of tartar until stiff peak forms, gradually adding in sugar. Quickly but gently fold 4 tbs of meringue into red batter in 3 additions. Transfer to piping bag fitted with a Wilton #5 or #7 tip. Carefully pipe the 寿 on in a thick layer. Bake for 2 minutes if using baking sheet and 3 minutes if using silicone mat.

Baked pattern

5. Prepare meringue and batter for layer cake the same way as step 4, using the smaller portion of egg yolk batter and adding any leftover meringue from step 4 into freshly beaten meringue. Pour the batter slowly over the pattern. Tap the tray a few times on table to release trapped air. Bake for 13-14 minutes or until skewer comes out clean. Immediately remove from tray and cool with another baking sheet over it. Reduce oven temperature to 150°C.

6. Prepare meringue and batter for 17cm chiffon cake the same way as step 4. Bake at 150°C for 15 minutes, then 140°C for 20 minutes and finally 130°C for 10-20 minutes or until skewer comes out clean. Immediately invert to cool. Carefully unmould by hand when cooled.

Freshly baked!

Lychees stuffed with lychee rose pudding
Ingredients:
10-12 canned lychees, woody bits removed, drained and pat dry with paper towels
(A)
50g fresh milk
15g evaporated milk
35g water
26g lychee pureed in canned syrup, strained through fine meshed sieve
1/8 tsp rose water (optional if unavailable)
1/8 tsp lychee flavouring (optional)
5g caster/granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
1/4 tsp agar powder
(B)
5g custard powder
30g canned lychee syrup

Note that the portion here is small. You may upsize it.
Update: I realised that fresh milk separates when boiled, creating a slightly grainy texture to the pudding. Using diluted evaporated milk helps to create a smooth textured pudding. 

Steps:
1. Place canned lychees in some sort of holder e.g. ice cube tray. Place in fridge uncovered.

2. Mix ingredients in (B) well. Set aside.

3. Mix ingredients in (A) in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat while stirring constantly. When boiling, stir (B) again and slowly pour into (A) in a steady stream while stirring (A) constantly. Keep stirring until mixture thickens.

4. Let the pudding cool while stirring frequently. When you feel that it is cool enough to touch without scalding yourself, transfer into piping bag/ziplock bag and fill the lychees with pudding.

5. Refrigerate the stuffed lychees for about an hour uncovered.

Yums! The pudding is good enough to eat it on its own!

Fill the hole in chiffon cake with stuffed lychees

Place the peaches around the circumference of the cake and cover the hole with the 寿 patterned cake. I cut out the word from the layer cake and used charcoal powder dissolved in some water to paint on the black border using a toothpick.

 Use melted marshmellows to secure the peaches on the cake. Brush the peaches and layer cake with some syrup (5g sugar dissolved in 20g canned lychee syrup) to prevent the small or thin parts from drying out. Store in airtight condition in the fridge.

The fudge is so good that if anyone wants a lychee rose version of Pandan kaya cake (layered lychee sponge and lychee fudge), I am sure it will be a hit! In fact, I think I may do that for grandma's 80th birthday :). Update: Here's the post for my grandma's cake! Indeed it was a hit and everyone finished their portion despite moaning that they were too full to eat after a sumptuous birthday meal!

My friend's family loved the looks and taste of the cake! The combination of juicy stuffed lychee eaten with soft and light chiffon sponge was great :).

With love,
Phay Shing