'Waves' Matcha Chiffon Cake with Fresh Cream, Injeolmi and Azuki Beans

I seldom accept requests for orders nowadays as I want to make time for some YouTube content. I accepted this because I thought it wouldn't take too long and was from an old customer who really loved my fresh cream cakes. This turned out rather challenging not just due to Singapore's tropical weather, but also because I have never done palette painting on cakes (or on paper for that matter), don't have a palette knife, and this was a new flavour combination I am exploring. Presenting my Matcha cake with fresh cream, Injeolmi and azuki beans! 

I was excited about trying this flavour combi because it reminds me a little of bingsu with the milky shaved ice, bits of azuki bean, Injeolmi and matcha jelly! 

The creamed cake with the painted wave design was requested. But since it is a new flavour combination for me, I decided to make a small swiss roll to do a taste test as well. 

I painted this using a mixture of dairy and non-dairy cream, and a specialized fork for eating crabs since I didn't have a palette knife. Maybe crab fork painting can become a thing 😂! 

The chiffon sponge is the last thing to prepare before assembly so I prepared the cream and injeolmi first. For those of you who don't know what injeolmi is (like me before I got this request), it is like muah chee or soft chewy glutinous rice cake but instead of coating with ground peanuts like muah chee, it is coated with kinako (roasted soybean flour). 

Homemade injeolmi! Please follow the recipe here from Maangchi. It is really quick and easy! 

I used a 1:1 ratio for dairy and non-dairy whipping cream to get the best of taste and stability. I stabilized the dairy cream with gelatin. 

Recipe for stabilized fresh cream and non-dairy cream mix

Ingredients:

250g heavy cream or double cream or a mix

1 gelatin sheet

1 tbs icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 

250g whip topping (non-dairy whipping cream)

Steps:

 1. Bloom gelatin in ice water. In the meantime, heat dairy cream with vanilla and icing sugar until sugar is dissolved and cream is warm (not hot, about 40C). Melt bloomed gelatin in warm cream. Whisk until dissolved. 

2. Press cling wrap onto surface of the cream. Chill overnight or at least for a few hours. 

3. When ready to assemble, whip non-dairy cream until stiff peaks. Set aside. 

4. Whip stabilized dairy cream until firm or stiff peaks. Gradually fold dairy cream into whipped whip topping. 

5. Portion small portions of cream to colour with gel colouring for paintig the waves. Transfer the cream into piping bags for assembly/painting. 

Freshly made cream! I love the smoothness of it! 

I adapted the matcha sponge recipe from my hojicha chiffon sponge recipe. You may refer to this blog post for the chiffon recipe but replace hojicha powder with matcha powder, use regular caster sugar instead of monkfruit sugar and omit the cornflour. 

Freshly baked matcha sheet cake! 

Here is a peek at how I assembled the swiss roll with the cream, injeolmi and azuki bean. 

Such cakes need to remain chilled in Singapore's tropical weather. Challenging to assemble but of all the cake fillings and frostings, fresh cream is one of the yummiest! Thank God I had great reviews for the taste of the cake from the birthday recipient who loves Injeolmi! I was a little nervous that the Injeolmi would be too hard or chewy when cold but he loves it this way! 

With love,

Phay Shing