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Thursday 9 August 2012

Durian Yogurt Cake




Since we are in the midst of a glorious durian season, it's the best time to try some durian based recipes. 

My BIL's mother once made us a chiffon durian cake that was simply out-of-this world! I have often thought of asking her to teach me how to make that, but have never gotten round to it.  

This time when I managed to get some lovely durians and wanted to give aunty a tinkle, my mum told me she wasn't feeling well. Ah, lousy timing. 

So I attempted to try something on my own.  Baking is not my forte so I decided not to be too ambitious in my maiden attempt with my favourite fruit.  I googled high and low to find a recipe that fits the following criteria:

1. is relatively straightforward

2. maximises the flavour of the fruit without too many additional flavourings - I personally am not a big fan of using fruits for cooking simply because I feel that fruits should be best enjoyed on its own

3. is relatively low in fat (ie doesn't use a lot of butter or oil - something less than 50g would be nice) 

and 4. doesn't leave me with a huge sinkful of washing up!



So here it is; a lovely, light Durian and Yogurt Cake.  The texture is similar to Japanese cheese cake, just a tiny tad more dense.  Thankyou Leela of Shesimmers for this delightful recipe.
















I followed the recipe almost to a T; with some minor adjustments (and converted the measurements from grams to cup, for my own sanity!)


Durian Yogurt Cake

Source: Shesimmers, with minor adjustments


  • 250g durian flesh, pureed
  • 1/2 cup superfine flour, sifted
  • 1 cup strained regular yogurt (I use my homemade yogurt)
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 50g melted butter
  • 7 small eggs (size C), separated
  • 1/2 cup castor sugar, make sure there are no lumps
  • 1/2 tsp cream of tartar powder


1.  Use a handwhisk and mix the durian puree, flour, egg yolks, salt, yogurt and butter together until even.
2.  Preheat the oven at 160degrees celcius.  Grease a 9inch springform pan.

3.  In a separate bowl, beat the eggwhites until frothy, add in the cream of tartar and then sugar until stiff peaks.

4.  Fold into the flour mixture, be careful not to overmix.  Pour into the pan and bake for 45 - 55 min.   The cake will puff up quite a bit, and then shrink after it is cooked.

5.  Let the cake cool before unmolding. 


Notes:

1.  I used good quality kampung durians, didn't bother with Musang King (since hubby once bought both and I couldn't taste the difference!)

2.  Understand the idiosyncracies of your oven.  I use a convention oven/broiler which heats faster and is more efficient in heat circulation, thus I use a lower temperature at 150degrees.


3.  When putting the cake into the oven to bake, be sure to have sufficient space on top for the cake to rise.



Very light and japanese cheesecake-like texture
















23 comments:

  1. Wow! Am so impressed! You have now become a chef or what? And thanks for sharing the recipe too. Am tempted to try it one fine day.... One fine day.

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    Replies
    1. Yit Wer, we wre all resident chefs to our family rite? :). Make that one fine day this raya break la, got time :)

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  2. This is so nice! I once had a durian sponge cake and the frosting was also made of durian. It was delicious. Thanks for sharing this recipe.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Phong. One fine day i hope to attempt making frosting :)

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  3. I am a big fan of kampung durians too! LOL.
    The thinner the flesh, the better it is :p

    The cake looks very nice leh... moist and soft.

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    Replies
    1. Yes, the thin skin ones are guuuud! Nowadays the premium kampung durians are very gud d, no need to waste precious dosh on musang king.

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  4. Oh Esther...
    I can't eat durian. I've tried but couldn't bear the smell and the texture. Your cake looks so moist and tender, I might have to rethink of my fear of durian. Will cakes or any baked goods made with durian have strong aroma like the fresh ones?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Holly, yes, the cakes will hv strong aroma of durians if they use good quality ones, thats why we durian crazy people love it, the stronger the better! Heehee. On the other hand, you can substitute it with other denser fruit puree like pumpkin or even carrot. I like mangoes, but its very liquidy so you will need to strain it.

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  5. Esther I cannot believe that baking is not your forte! This cake is so moist and beautifully done. I would love have some, correction, would love to have the whole cake :) love durians and the fact it's healthier!

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  6. Mich, God heard my desperate plea and decided to help me out here :). I made this quite a few times before i dare to post it up...but really, it could still be better. Aiming to make it even more lighter, but thankyou for the kind compliments :)

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  7. At which step does the pureed durian flesh go in?

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    Replies
    1. Oh, i missed out the most important ingredient LOL! Thanks Kenny for pointing that out. Mix the durian puree together with the flour etc in step 1.

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  8. Wow, the cake looks so nice, soft and moist. Yes I prefer kampong durians any time, more 'authentic'!

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  9. Hey,

    I loves durian too. Especially when it is fresh. When can I have a chance to taste your wonderful creation?

    Frm, natalie.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Very tempted to try this for Hannah's 1st birthday celebration. When you say size C eggs...how many grams are they? Here is based on grams not sizing of the eggs.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Joo Lian, size C eggs are about 50-55g. The most important part in this cake is the beating of the egg whites as that gives the cake the lift and makes it light and fluffy. So make sure the whites are beaten properly to a medium to stiff peaks.

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  11. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  12. hi,,this cake is so tempting and i can assure it wil make our
    belly bigger haha,,
    btw,,can i cut down the sugar,,cis i intend to make this
    for my mum seventy birthday,,hope ot hear from u,,
    n thanks for sharing in rtn,,ping--sg

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  13. Hi I tried your recipe today. The cake turns out very soft n nice. Just one question , it tasted bit sourish too, is that normal? From the yogurt I guess? Tq

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The sourish taste shouldn't be prominent unless your yogurt is really tart. The sweetness from the durian and the sugar should be sufficient to mask the sourness of the yogurt. It is mainly to give moistness to the cake and minimise the fat content.

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