Cake · Baking

Hojicha Jasmine Longan Cake

Longan is something I grew up eating in Malaysia, dried, canned, and fresh. The flavour is delicate and honey-like and I always thought it would be beautiful in a cake. Pairing it with hojicha and jasmine gives this cake layers of flavour that unfold differently at different bites. It is a more complex bake than it looks and one I am very proud of.

Ingredients

Hojicha Chiffon Cake

• 4 egg yolks
• 60g granulated sugar
• 80ml neutral oil
• 150ml milk
• 1.5 tbsp hojicha powder
• 150g cake flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 egg whites
• 40g granulated sugar

Jasmine Tea Whipped Cream

• 500ml heavy cream, cold
• 3 tbsp instant jasmine powder
• 60g granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp unflavored gelatin powder
• 2 tbsp cold water

Assembly

• 2 cans longan in syrup (chop 1 can, leave 1 can whole)

Method

1. 1 Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk together 60g sugar and oil until combined. Add egg yolks and milk, whisk until smooth.
2. 2 Sift in cake flour, hojicha powder, baking powder, and salt; mix until smooth.
3. 3 Beat egg whites until frothy, slowly add 40g sugar, and whip to stiff peaks.
4. 4 Fold one-third of meringue into yolk mixture, then gently fold in the rest until no streaks remain.
5. 5 Pour into ungreased 6x3 inch round cake pan. Bake 45–55 minutes until skewer comes out clean. Immediately invert pan and cool completely upside down before releasing.
6. 6 For the cream, bloom gelatin by adding hot water and stirring until dissolved. Combine cold heavy cream, jasmine powder, sugar, and vanilla. Quickly whisk in dissolved gelatin. Whip to stiff peaks and refrigerate until ready.
7. 7 Slice cooled cake horizontally into 3 equal layers.
8. 8 Place first layer on plate, brush with longan syrup, spread whipped cream, scatter chopped longan, add another cream layer. Repeat with second layer.
9. 9 Place final layer on top. Cover entire cake with remaining whipped cream, smoothing with offset spatula.
10. 10 Top with whole longans and dust generously with jasmine tea powder. Refrigerate 1 hour before serving.

Tips & Notes

Longan can be found canned at most Asian grocery stores. Drain and pat dry before using. The hojicha and jasmine flavours deepen overnight, so this cake is even better the next day. Store covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.