I love osmanthus and the scent is so soothing. I’m sure you can tell that I love osmanthus very much as I’ve shared my osmanthus recipes with you before. So today, I’m sharing this Osmanthus Chia Seed Chiffon Cake with you. This recipe is similar to my Earl Grey Tea Chiffon cake but with a little adjustment on the flour and I changed the sugar to osmanthus sugar syrup (store bought). I’ve also added 2 tablespoons black chia seeds for some crunch. Overall this chiffon cake is perfect with a hint of osmanthus fragrance, and soft, cottony texture. I even baked a second one the next day.
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Osmanthus Chia Seed Chiffon Cake
Description
Osmanthus is a flowering plant with the soothing scent similar to peaches. This chiffon cake is perfect with a hint of fragrance, a slight crunch of chia, and a soft, cottony texture.
Ingredients
- 60g Plain flour
- 2 tbsp Black chia seeds
- 3 Egg yolks (large egg – 70g each)
- 1 1/2tbsp Osmanthus sugar syrup
- 50g Corn oil
- 80ml Hot water
- 2 heapful tbsp Dried osmanthus flower
Meringue
- 60g Sugar
- 3/4 tbsp Corn flour (7g)
- 3 Egg whites
Instructions
- Boil 100ml water together with 2 tbsp dried osmanthus flower, off heat. Cover and leave to cool. Strain dried osmanthus flower through a fine sieve and measure osmanthus liquid to 80ml.
- Sieve flour twice and mix well with chia seeds. Combine egg yolks and osmanthus sugar syrup in a bowl and mix well with a hand whisk. Combine osmanthus liquid and oil together. Blend well with the egg mixture. Add flour mixture and mix well.
- Make meringue – Combine sugar and corn flour. Beat egg whites until foamy. Add half the sugar and flour mixture and continue beating for a few minutes, then add remaining sugar and flour mixture and beat until egg whites are glossy, with stiff peaks.
- Fold meringue to the egg yolk mixture in 3 batches with a rubber spatula. Pour batter evenly into 20cm ungreased chiffon cake pan. Gently bang the pan on the table top to release air bubbles. (My cake was little too flat as my pan was 21cm)
- Place cake pan in the pre-heated oven 170C and bake for about 40-45 minutes.
- When cake is done, remove from oven and turn the pan over. Remove the cake from pan after cooling.
- Category: Baking
Frequently Asked Questions
What does osmanthus taste like and where can I find it?
Osmanthus is a small flower with a delicate, peachy-apricot fragrance — subtly floral without being perfumy. Dried osmanthus flowers and osmanthus sugar syrup are available at Asian grocery stores and online. The syrup is used in this recipe as both a sweetener and flavor carrier. 
Why is the chiffon cake pan left ungreased?
Chiffon cake needs to grip the sides of the pan as it rises to build its tall, light structure. A greased pan lets the batter slide away from the walls, and the cake collapses inward. Use an ungreased aluminum chiffon cake pan for this reason — don't substitute with a non-stick pan.
How do I remove the chiffon cake from the pan without it deflating?
Immediately after the cake comes out of the oven, invert the pan and let it hang upside down until completely cool — at least an hour. The inverted position prevents the delicate crumb from collapsing under its own weight. Once fully cooled, run a thin knife around the edges and center tube to release.
