CAKES - Chiffon Cakes
Banana Ogura Cake
July 18, 2017
| Recipe by Bake with Paws
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I have always wanted to bake a square chiffon cake. Thank you to Jeannie Tay for sharing the recipe. I am so happy that the cake turned out very nice,
Ogura cake is a soft and fluffy sponge cake originating from Malaysia. Ogura is a catchy name and it means lovesick if you translate from Japanese. It is known for its light and airy texture, achieved by whipping egg whites separately to create a meringue, which is then folded into the batter. The cake has a moist, delicate crumb, often flavored with ingredients like pandan, banana, chocolate, or orange. It’s similar to a chiffon cake but tends to be slightly denser and creamier, yet still soft and bouncy. Its gentle sweetness and smooth texture make it a popular choice for a light dessert or snack.
If you like Banana Cake, I have another another Banana Cake Recipe that you may like to try.
If you have any questions regarding this recipe or any other post, please leave me a comment in the “LEAVE A COMMENT” link and I will reply you as soon as possible. Do tag me on Instagram @Bakewithpaws if you attempt on this recipe.
Recipe adapted from Jeannietay's Blog
How To Make Banana Ogura Cake
INGREDIENTS:
5 egg yolks + 1 whole egg
60g corn oil
150g mashed banana
1/4 tsp salt
80g plain flour
5 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
60g caster sugar (Please read notes below)
Utensil :
7″ square pan
METHOD:
- Preparation:
- Preheat oven to about 145C (top & bottom heat).
- Line the base and two sides of the cake pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy lifting when unmolding the cake. (Refer to the diagram for guidance.)
- To Prepare Cake Batter:
- Sift flour in a bowl. Add in salt and keep aside.
- Separate egg whites from the yolks.
- Whisk the egg yolks, whole egg, and oil by hand until frothy. Mix in the mashed banana until well combined. Gradually add the sifted flour and salt, stirring until the batter is smooth and uniform. Set aside while you prepare the meringue.
- Using a stand mixer or hand electric mixer, whisk egg white until frothy before adding cream of tartar and continue to beat until foamy. Gradually add in sugar and whisk until firm peaks formed (when you turn your whisk upside down, the peaks will hold and curl over a bit).
- Gently fold 1/3 of the meringue into the yolk batter using a hand whisk. Add another 1/3 and fold gently again. Finally, pour the batter into the remaining meringue, and fold carefully with a spatula until no streaks of meringue remain.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and tap pan lightly to remove air bubbles. I used a chopstick to swirl through the batter, helping to release any trapped air bubbles.
- Baking:-
- Place the cake pan into a pan slightly bigger before placing into another bigger pan filed with hot water until 1.5 cm height.
- Bake at the preheated oven for about 70 minutes.
- Remove the cake from the oven and unmold it immediately. Run a thin-bladed knife around the unlined edges of the pan, then lift the cake onto a cooling rack. Once the cake has cooled, carefully peel off the parchment paper from the base.
- You can also tap the cake pan on the counter a few times after removing it from the oven. This helps to prevent the cake from shrinking too quickly. It releases any remaining steam or trapped air, allowing the cake to settle evenly and maintain its light, airy texture. This can help reduce the risk of the cake collapsing or deflating as it cools.
- I used organic light brown sugar and blended it slightly so it dissolves more easily, like caster sugar.
- Another way to unmold the cake is to remove it from the pan immediately. Run a thin-bladed knife around the inside edges, then invert the cake onto non-stick baking paper. Peel off the parchment from the base, and re-invert the cake onto a rack to cool.
GENERAL NOTES:
I would suggest you read the following notes especially if you are don't bake often.
MERINGUE
Meringue plays a very important role in Chiffon Cake. Over beating meringue may cause the cake to crack, while under beating will cause the cake to collapse or it may not rise much.
Use room temperature egg whites, this will yield more volume. Cold egg whites will not whip well. It is easier to separate your eggs when they are still cold, then leave the egg whites aside to come to room temperature.
Make sure your bowl is clean and there is no any trace of egg yolk or fat. Fat will interfere with the formation of meringue.
Use cream of tartar to stabilise the whipped meringue. Cream of tartar is acidic and can be replaced with lemon juice or white vinegar. The replacement ratio is 1:2. If your recipe asks for 1/4 tsp of cream of tartar, then replace with 1/2 tsp lemon juice.
Stages of Meringue:
Soft Peak – The meringue is soft and unable to hold its form, it will drip after you turn your whisk upside down. You will see the ribbon lines, but it disappears the moment you stop whisking.
Firm Peak – The peak will hold and fold back slightly when you turn your whisk upside down. The meringue is glossy and the ribbon lines stay. This is the stage we look for if you do not want your cake to crack.
Stiff Peak – The peak will hold straight and doesn’t fold back when you turn the whisk upside down. The meringue is very glossy and thick too. Most chiffon cake recipes will prescribe this stage but the cake will easily crack when baking. However, if you don’t mind the cake cracking then it is fine. It doesn’t affect how the cake tastes.
Over-beating – The meringue looks grainy, broken and dull. We do not want this stage in baking as you will not be able to fold it into the flour batter nicely.
OVEN TEMPERATURE AND BAKING TIME
Do note that the baking temperature and timing provided are what works for my oven and should also be regarded as a guide only. Every oven behaves a little differently, so please adjust accordingly for your oven.
It would be good to use an oven thermometer when baking. This will help you understand and know the actual temperature you are baking at. The actual temperature in the oven may not be the same as the oven’s setting. Leave the thermometer on the same rack where you place your baking.
I usually bake cakes with top and bottom heats setting. I don’t encourage baking cakes with fan-forced mode as this setting uses a fan to circulate the hot air for quick baking or cooking at high temperature and may result in cracks on the cake. However, if fan mode is used, it is recommended to reduce the temperature setting by about 20C if using a fan-forced mode.
WATER BATH vs DRY BAKE
For a water bath, the cake pan sits within another pan filled with a little water. Place the cake pan within a larger pan and pour hot water into the outer pan until it comes up to a level of 1.5cm – 2 cm. Place the whole thing in oven and bake.
The benefit of water bath is that it will moderate the baking temperature and prevent the cakes from cracking. The cake texture will be very moist too.
Chiffon cake baked without a water bath is more brown and crumbly. Some may prefer this texture. Please make your own choice between water bath or dry bake. This is a very individual personal preference.
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CAKES - Chiffon Cakes,
Hi,
ReplyDeleteOn occasional times when baking ogura, there is a thin wax like layer at the bottom of the cake.... I do use parchment paper to line the bottom though. Can you please advise?
Also why are there some wrinkles at the sides of the cake ? Thanks 🙏🏻
Hi, thanks for reading my post. I am not too sure too about the thin wax layer at the bottom of the cake. Maybe is the parchment paper. Try to use baking paper that stick and see what happen.
DeleteIt could be you lined the sides of the cake pan or the cake sink?
Cheers :)
Thanks.... will try and see . No I didn’t line the sides of the cake pan
DeleteHi, then it could be the lines after the cake sank.
DeleteThanks again.i tried using Teflon sheet to line the base and at another time, another kind of parchment paper... both occasions still I had the thin wax layer at the bottom but the cake texture is ok .dont know why !
DeleteAlso is it advisable to overturn the ogura With the cake still in the cake pan after baking to prevent sinking?
Hi,
DeleteIf you want to invert the cake still in the cake pan, you need something to support at the 4 corners to prevent the cake pan of pressing on the cake. Please see the diagram or watch the video on below link:
https://www.bakewithpaws.com/2017/07/pandan-cotton-cake-with-gula-melaka.html
Cheers :)
Thank you.... yes.... I saw your diagram. Should it be inverted till it completely cools down ? The thin wax layer at the bottom.... could it be inadequate heat at the bottom ?
ReplyDeleteHi inverted for about 15 to 30 mins only. Maybe.. I am not too sure too.
DeleteCheers :)
Thank you again
DeleteMost welcome :)
DeleteBaked this cake today. It was so good! The sweetness was just right for me. I usually reduce sugar but at 60g I reckoned it was just right as the bananas I used were also not overly sweet. I lined the whole square pan with parchment paper. The cake rose beautifully and didn't sink after it has cooled. After 30mins of baking in my 900mm oven, I had to lower the temperature to 150°C as I noticed that it was cracking. After 10mins I lowered the temperature by another 10°C as it was browning quite quickly. It turned out perfect! Perhaps next time I will bake at 150°C instead. Thank you for this beautiful recipe!
ReplyDeleteHi, thanks for trying this recipe and your kind feedback. Glad to hear that your cake turned out perfectly. The credit go to Jennie Tay who I adapted the recipe from.
DeleteMaybe you should preheat your oven at 160C and reduce to 150C when start baking.
Cheers and happy baking:)
Hello! Tried your recipe last night, and it looks wonderful. First time I am able to bake something in a water bath quite successfully? One question though. How long can the cake keep? Does it need to be refrigerated?
ReplyDeleteHi, Thanks for trying and your kind feedback. It depends on room temperature at your place. My room temperature here is quite warm (29-30C). I usually store the cake in covered container in refrigerator after 1st day. Cheers :)
DeleteHi, what is the substitute for cake flour?
ReplyDeleteHi, you can use plain flour or all purpose flour. Any low protein flour is fine.
DeleteCheers :)