'Durian' Durian Cottony Cake (early Father's day present)

My dad loves to eat durians! I made these ‘durians’ from durian-flavoured ogura cake for my dad and my friend’s dad (seems most dad’s love durians ;))!

It’s made with real premium durian flesh, the flavour and smell is so strong and fragrant, and texture so cottony and soft! Even though I’m not a durian lover, I’m a convert (at least of its pastries hehe)! I called it cottony cake due to its delicate texture but also the recipe is closer to ogura cake, though in actual I merged chiffon and ogura recipes.

Check out the texture!

This is another version I made:

I will first share recipe for a plain durian cottony cake for the 8-9-inch tube pan first as it’s oh-so-good and easy to try for beginners. Below that, I will share the recipe how to make a ‘durian’ fruit version =). For the ‘durian’ version, I used pandan paste for the green colour of the shell and durian paste/emulco for the durian fruit. Both, especially the pandan paste enhances the durian flavour too! I was really surprised the pandan-durian portion to be our favorite! 

I made the spikes from baking chiffon cake in mini paper cones (the top version), but if you find that troublesome, you can also cut out small triangles from chiffon sheet cake (bottom version). Both look pretty cute.

Here, I also experimented with using prima top flour to replace part of the cake flour. I’m loving the ultra-fine texture of top flour! Mixing a little into the cake flour increases its lightness! If you do not have top flour, just substitute it with equal portions of cake flour. Here goes!


Plain Durian Cottony Cake (for 8-9-inch tube pan)
*if you use 9-inch, cake will be slightly shorter

3 egg yolks
1 whole egg
28g castor sugar
65g vegetable/corn/coconut oil
70g coconut milk
84g durian puree
80g prima cake flour
20g prima top flour (*can be substituted with cake flour)


7 egg whites
¼ tsp cream of tartar
73g castor sugar

1. Prepare durian puree by blending 2 rows of durian flesh or mashing durian flesh and then passing it through a sieve. 176g durian with seeds approximately yields 90g durian puree.

The durian puree is finger-licking good!

2. Prepare a tray of water under the lowest rack. Preheat oven to 160°C.

3. Whisk egg yolks and whole egg with sugar until pale and light.

4. Add in oil, coconut milk, durian puree and mix well.

5. Whisk in sifted cake flour, top flour (you can also replace with cake flour) and mix till smooth and well-combined.

6. Prepare meringue:

a. In a grease-free, dry metal bowl, using electric mixer, whisk egg whites with cream of tartar till frothy.

b. Add in ½ castor sugar for meringue and whisk at high speed till soft peaks form.

c. Add in rest of the castor sugar for meringue and whisk till firm peaks form. Firm peaks give finer, softer texture.

7. Fold in meringue gently into egg yolk batter 1/3 at a time. *Fold in unidirectional, gentle strokes and do not overfold.

8. Gently pour or scoop the batter into an ungreased 8- to 9-inch chiffon tube pan. Gently tap on counter top to remove air bubbles.

9. Bake at 160°C for 15 min, 150°C for 10 min, 140°C for 20 min, then 130°C for 15 min, or until skewer inserted into centre of cake comes out clean.

10. Invert pan to cool on a wire rack completely.

11. Unmould the chiffon cake by hand (see video tutorial ‘Hand unmoulding Chiffon cakes for a clean finishing’).


‘Durian’ fruit Durian Cottony Cake (makes 1 durian or 2 halves)

2 egg yolks
1/2 whole egg
14g castor sugar
33g vegetable/corn/coconut oil
35g coconut milk
42g durian puree
40g prima cake flour
10g prima top flour (*can be substituted with cake flour)
Few drops of durian paste/emulco (only added to yellow portion)
1/5 tsp pandan paste (only added to green portion)

3.5 egg whites
¼ tsp cream of tartar
36g castor sugar

1. Prepare durian puree by blending 1 row of durian flesh or mashing durian flesh and then passing it through a sieve. 88g durian with seeds approximately yields 45g durian puree. Photos as above.

2. Prepare a tray of water under the lowest rack. Preheat oven to 160°C. Prepare one silicone cake pop mould (for durian fruit), 2 oval glass bowls (for durian, you can also use round bowls), 20-30 mini paper cones (for spikes, cut leaving the tips)

3. Whisk egg yolks and whole egg with sugar until pale and light.

4. Add in oil, coconut milk, durian puree and mix well.

5. Whisk in sifted cake flour, top flour (you can also replace with cake flour) and mix till smooth and well-combined.

6. Spoon out 6 tsp egg yolk batter to another bowl and leave plain (for the cream husk), spoon out 6 tsp batter to another bowl and add a few drops of durian paste/emulco (for the yellow fruit). To the rest of the batter, add pandan paste (for the green shell).

6. Prepare meringue:

a. In a grease-free, dry metal bowl, using electric mixer, whisk egg whites with cream of tartar till frothy.

b. Add in ½ castor sugar for meringue and whisk at high speed till soft peaks form.

c. Add in rest of the castor sugar for meringue and whisk till firm peaks form. Firm peaks give finer, softer texture.

7. Portion out 12 tbsp meringue for the plain and yellow batters, leaving the rest of the meringue for the green batter.

8. Gently fold in meringue into respectively egg yolk batters 1/3 at a time. *Fold in unidirectional, gentle strokes and do not overfold.

9. Spoon green batter onto the bowls till 3/4 full, then spoon the plain batter onto the middle. Gently tap on counter top to remove air bubbles. Bake bowls at 160°C for 15 min, 150°C for 10 min, 140°C for 15+ min, or until skewer inserted into centre of cake comes out clean.

10. Spoon the rest of the green batter into the mini cones and bake at 160°C for 12+ min, or until skewer comes clean.

11. Spoon the yellow batter into cake pops moulds and bake at 160°C for 12+ min.

12. Leaves the moulds on a wire rack to cool completely.

13. Unmould the chiffon cake by hand by peeling/pulling at the sides similar to the big chiffon tube pan.

14. Use melted marshmallows to glue the fruits and spikes on.

Hope you will enjoy this delicious cottony soft durian creation! Happy advance Father's day to all!!

With lots of love,
Susanne


*Newer version of Durian Chiffon Cake here.

More loving chiffon cake creations here: