Rose Chiffon

I first came across this recipe in Fruity Cakes by Alex Goh.  I have heard of cream/filling that is lightly scented with rose, but I’ve never come across the actual usage of rose in a cake.  But then again, I cannot profess to be a know-it-all given my limited experience in food.  So, while I was quite intrigued with this recipe, I was also hesitant to give it a try as I feared that the cake may end up tasting like Yardley’s English Rose talcum powder.  Or worse, my granny :P.  You see, my granny used to douse herself with this talc.

In recent months, I noticed that many bloggers have attempted this recipe and all have reported good results.  So, to satisfy my burning curiosity, I decided to give it a try.  The result ? Truth be told, I am not too sure.  I’m not quite certain that a rose chiffon works for me - given the lightness of the cake, the scent is a bit too overwhelming and I feel that it does leave a rosy soapy aftertaste in my mouth.  And by the way, yes, it does smell a bit like granny.  Not that it’s a bad thing, but you get my drift.

But I will not be deterred, not especially when I have a whole bottle of rose syrup and essence to finish.  Till then, I figured, since this rose thing is an acquired taste, I should learn to like and appreciate some rose confectionary first, before I re-attempt anything florally.  Sounds like a good excuse to sink my teeth into some Cadbury’s Turkish Delight ?  Yes, and no.  I am actually eyeing the Ispahan cake by Dorie Greenspan in her new book, Around My French Table, and prepping myself.  The Ispahan is an infusion of rose, raspberries and lychees created by French celebrated pastry chef, Pierre Hermé.  I can't explain why but I have harboured high hopes for the Ispahan and I really want to like it.  Anyway, that’s another story for another day.

So back to the rose chiffon.  As taste is very much a personal preference, I won’t discourage you from trying this recipe.  In terms of texture, the cake came out beautifully.  Light and cottony soft.  Rosy pink too.

 

You will need:

50 ml rose syrup + 20 ml water, mixed together
4 egg yolks

70 g canola oil

20 g + 80 g sugar

100 g cake flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

4 egg whites

1/8 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp rose essence

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 170 deg C.  Sift the flour and baking powder.

Mix the rose syrup, egg yolks, canola oil, 20 g sugar together.  Fold in the flour mixture.

In another bowl, whisk the egg whites until foamy.  Add in the cream of tartar, and then gradually add in the 80 g sugar.  Continue to whisk until stiff.

Take 1/4 of the meringue and mix into the egg yolk batter until combine.  Add the remaining meringue and fold in lightly.

Pour batter in a 20 cm tube pan, and bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

Immediately invert the pan after removing from the oven.  Let it cool completely before removing it from the pan.