Durian Chiffon Cupcakes

You would think that fruits durian, kumquat and even cranberries are seasonal fruits that only available certain times of the year. But with the help of proper packing and freezing methods, you can practically have these fruits all year round! So when you crave for that durian chiffon cake or egg tart, remind yourself to buy extra next time to keep in the freezer for "rainy days". I would usually freeze in smaller packs of 100 g which would be easier to when I use them for baking. 

Today I will be sharing this lovely Durian Chiffon Cupcake recipe which you can, yes you can, bake as and when you have some durian whether fresh or frozen. I used only 200 g of durian flesh, which is only about 4 fruit amount of D24....okay lah, you are not wasting anything when you use it to bake, it still goes into your tummy!

My first trial on this recipe and really glad that it still manage to turn out so wonderful. When I started off writing this recipe, I had the idea of a chiffon cake texture which is not too soft or mushy. I want soft but still springy and a slight bite to it. I would feel substantial enough after eating one. So if I compare this with Ogura cake, this is contains slightly more substance, not that melt away feel when you eat an Ogura steam baked cake. Perhaps it is my own personal preference, I love mine this way. But if you love Ogura cake, hop over here and here to check out my recipes. :)

Ingredients for Durian Chiffon Cupcakes

5 egg yolks

50 g caster sugar

1/3 tsp salt

200 g durian flesh

100 ml evaporated milk

50 ml organic cold pressed coconut oil ( you can use vegetable oil or melted butter)
150 g cake flour (sifted)
1 tsp baking power

5 egg whites

80 g caster sugar

• Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. I usually use cold eggs from the refrigerator, much easier to separate.

• Whisk the egg yolks and 50 g of the caster sugar till it is double in volume and creamier.

• In the blender, add the durian flesh and 100 ml evaporated milk. (Note that evaporated milk is creamier then fresh milk, so try not to substitute it) Blend till mixture is smooth and creamy. Set aside for use later.

• Whisk the blended durian cream into the egg yolk batter. Then add in coconut oil and combine as well.

• Next sift in the cake flour, baking powder and salt, and whisk to combine till no visible lumps and creamy.
• Preheat the oven to 160C, prepare cupcake liners. I baked about 14-15 of these 4 oz cupcakes.
• Beat the egg whites with the remaining caster sugar till it reaches stiff peaks.

• In 3 separate portions, gently fold in the meringue to the egg yolk batter. Do not overtax and deflate the egg whites.

After well combined, carefully scoop the cake better into the cup liners. Divide equally. Of course you can also bake a whole chiffon cake, no problem there. For small cupcakes, bake for 15-17 minutes till tester comes out clean whole chiffon of 22 cm diameter, it will be 28-30 minutes or till tester comes out clean.

I bought my square cupcake liners at Phoon Huat. Unfortunately, they come in packs of 50 or 100, so you will take a longer time to finish using them. 

The main reason why I baked this batch of chiffon cupcakes was for my brother whom was back to visit. I always try my best to bake for him when he returns, because he enjoys simple home baking even though he travels so much and tried so many different cuisines. And awesome idea to bake durian cake for him when he came back during off season. So he gets to enjoy this even when there was no real durian to eat haha! 

That fluffy soft texture! So fragrant too! Who would have thought that durian and coconut bake can be so awesome. Another good point for the healthy coconut oil. So versatile and yet great in most bakes. 

Do try this out when you have some durian flesh to spare. Or do like me, buy more and freeze for rainy days. You and your family can enjoy these delicious chiffon cake even in February Chinese New year time haha! Hurry and go stock up now...December month has some too. ;)

Happy baking everyone!