Sunday 2 April 2017

Neopolitan 'Easter egg' Chiffon Cake Pops in Rainbow Chiffon Bundt 'Nest'


These cute Neopolitan (Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry) "Easter eggs" are for an "egg"-citing upcoming event for my church's Culinary arts ministry! I will be sharing how to make these soft, yummy and pretty bite-sized "Easter egg" chiffon cake pops.

It is also a labour of love, and together with many loving helpers, we have collected almost 120 egg shells for the baking class! I made a simple video to show them how to wash and clean the egg shells for baking chiffon cakes. For chiffon cakes, it is best to peel off the membrane inside the egg shells to prevent the cake from sticking to it. Egg shells support chiffon cake batter very well, and the egg pops are very light and fluffy.

I also had the sudden inspiration to turn a Rainbow bundt into a "nest" for the "Easter eggs". I already toyed with the idea of using the bundt for "nest" 2 years back but didn't have the chance to try. Recipe for the Rainbow bundt has been shared previously here.

I will first share the tri-colour Neopolitan chiffon cake egg pop recipe for you to try at home with your family. At the bottom, I will also share a scaled-down one-egg recipe which we will use during the class, for the reference of our participants.



Neopolitan chiffon cake egg pop (Chocolate, vanilla, strawberry) 
Makes 18-20 egg pops

3 egg yolks
20g castor sugar
40g vegetable/corn oil
43g water
4g vanilla extract
60g Prima cake flour, sifted
Strawberry paste/emulco
Chocolate paste/emulco, or cocoa powder

4 egg whites
45g castor sugar
¼ tsp cream of tartar

1. Prepare egg shells for baking:
Gently poke a hole with a chopstick and drain the egg. Wash the insides thoroughly and peel off the membrane (see video below). Allow to dry and place them in mini cupcake liners for support (see picture above).



2. Preheat oven to 140°C.

3. Prepare egg yolk batter:

a. Whisk egg yolk with sugar using hand whisk until light and well-mixed.

b. Add in oil first, then water and vanilla extract and mix well.

c. Whisk in sifted cake flour and whisk well, ensuring that no lumps are formed.

4. Divide the batter into 3 parts. To the first portion, leave plain. To the second portion, add approximately 1/5 of a teaspoon of strawberry paste/emulco. To the last portion, add approximately 1/5 of a teaspoon chocolate paste/emulco or 5g cocoa powder.
*If you prefer stronger flavours and colours, you can add 1/4 tsp of each but the shade will be darker.

5. Prepare meringue:

a. In a grease-free, dry 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 - peaks slope downwards forming a hook.

c. Add in rest of the castor sugar for meringue and whisk till firm peaks form - peaks point up but slightly hooked at the tip.

6. Divide the meringue into 3.

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

8. Fill the egg shells with the 3 colored batter one after another till 2/3 full.
*You can choose to spoon with teaspoon or use piping bag. As the egg shell hole is small, piping bag may be easier for beginners for the small hole, but piping bag deflates chiffon batter twice as fast (due to handling, the small nozzle and heat from your hands), so you need to work quickly.

9. Bake at 140°C for 30-35 min, or until skewer inserted into center of cakes come out clean.

10. Allow to cool completely on wire rack.

11. Unmould the egg cake pops:
Using the back of a teaspoon, crack the shell into small cracks before feeling off the shell to reveal the cute egg chiffon pops!

12. Place the egg chiffon pops in cupcake liners or insert a cake pop stick in to the cake for cake pops.


You can try Rainbow versions using the same recipe! Cute Rainbow chiffon cake egg pops using a different recipe with picture tutorials are also in Creative baking: Chiffon Cakes book =).




****

Scaled down recipe for reference for the class participants, approximately 1 egg recipe. Each group makes one colour and swap. 

Easter egg chiffon cake pop
Makes 6 egg pops

Egg yolk batter
10g egg yolk
5g castor sugar
10g vegetable/corn oil
11g water
1g vanilla extract
15g cake flour
Either plain, strawberry emulco, pandan paste, or chocolate paste (<1/4 tsp)

1 egg white
11g castor sugar
¼ tsp cream of tartar


1.       Prepare egg shells by washing and peeling off the internal membrane. Allow to dry and place them in mini cupcake liners.

2.       Preheat oven to 140°C (helpers in charge).

3.       Prepare egg yolk batter:
a.       Whisk egg yolk with sugar using hand whisk.
b.      Add in oil, water, vanilla extract and flavourings (different for each group) and mix well.
c.       Whisk in sifted cake flour. Mix well. *Ensure no lumps are formed. 

4.       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.

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

6.       Fill the egg shells till 2/3 full.

7.       Bake at 140°C for 30-35 min, or until skewer inserted into centre of cake comes out clean (or you can also use 160°C for 10 min then 140°C for 10-15 min).

8.       Allow to cool completely on wire rack.


9.       Unmould the egg cake pops by cracking the egg shell into small pieces using the back of a teaspoon. 


Hope you will enjoy making these light and cute Easter egg chiffon pops! 


With lots of love,
Susanne


By the way, have you wondered why are there eggs during Easter? Because during Easter, Christians celebrate the "egg"-ceptional resurrection  of an "egg"-traordinary man, Jesus, who died on the cross, and "egg"-xiting new life! And eggs represent new life... <3 




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