Cake · Flavours of My Childhood

Tofu Hua Chiffon Cake

Tofu hua chiffon cake is a recipe inspired by one of my favourite childhood desserts the silky, wobbly tofu pudding served warm in sweet ginger syrup that I grew up eating. The silken tofu in the batter makes the chiffon unusually moist and tender without adding any discernible tofu flavour. The texture is light and airy as a chiffon should be, with a subtle sweetness that lets the ginger syrup do its job. It is a delicate, thoughtful cake that rewards patience. Serve it with the ginger syrup warm and let it pool around the base of each slice.

Ingredients

Chiffon Cake

• 6 egg yolks
• 100g granulated sugar
• 120ml neutral oil
• 220ml warm Asian soy milk (sweetened)
• 225g cake flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 6 egg whites
• 80g granulated sugar

Ginger Syrup

• 5cm fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
• 50g granulated sugar
• 60ml water

Method

1. 1 Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. 2 Make the ginger syrup first. Add the sliced ginger, sugar, and water to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer until slightly thickened. Set aside to cool.
3. 3 In a bowl, whisk egg yolks, sugar, oil, and soy milk until smooth.
4. 4 Sift in cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix until fully combined.
5. 5 Stir in 2 tbsp of the cooled ginger syrup.
6. 6 In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until frothy, slowly add sugar, and whip to stiff peaks.
7. 7 Fold one-third of the meringue into the yolk batter, then gently fold in the rest until no streaks remain.
8. 8 Pour batter into an ungreased chiffon pan and bake at 350°F for 45 to 50 minutes.
9. 9 Immediately invert the pan and cool fully before releasing.
10. 10 Slice, then drizzle generously with the remaining ginger syrup.

Tips & Notes

Use silken tofu, not firm, for the smoothest texture. The cake gets its moisture from the tofu so don't skip this ingredient. Cool the chiffon upside down to prevent it from collapsing. Serve with ginger syrup for a nod to traditional tofu pudding.