Japanese Steamed Lavender Cake

This recipe is extracted from Alex Goh recipe book which I've bought few days ago! This cake is so cottony soft, like Japanese cheesecake but without the cheese taste :D I've also learnt something new from the book on beating egg whites. He mentioned that for chiffon cake to be fluffy & large, the whites have to beat till stiff. But if the cake is to be baked in a shallow pan instead, the egg whites should not be overbeat, which means stop at soft peak formed! This will ensure the cake will not be overly shrunk after baking. Indeed I try his method and my steamed bake cake only shrink slightly after cooling down.

Recipe Source : Fruity Cakes by Alex Goh
Ingredient

• 60gm milk
• 1 tbsp dried lavender
• 40gm butter
• 55gm plain flour
• 3 egg yolks
• 3 egg whites
• 50gm sugar
• 1/3 tsp cream of tartar

Method

1. Place milk & lavender in a mixing bowl. Double-boil till milk is warmed. Add butter and stir till butter melts. Cool slightly.
2. Sift in flour and stir till smooth.
3. Beat in egg yolks till combined.
4. In another clean mixing bowl, whisk egg whites and cream of tartar till foamy. Add in sugar gradually till soft peaks formed. Fold in 1/3 of the whites into the egg yolk batter.
   
5. Fold the batter into the balanced egg whites.
6. Pour the batter into a lined 7" cake pan. Spread evenly and sprinkle extra dried lavender over the surface. Bake at 160 deg cel in water bath for 50mins. Remove cake from mould and cool completely on wire rack.