LY's Kitchen Ventures: Pulut Hitam Magic Custard Cake

I've some black glutinous rice flour left after making the Pulut Hitam Chiffon Cake, so I experimented with the flour to create a Pulut Hitam Magic Custard Cake by adapting from the original Magic Custard Cake made previously.

I know my hubby will find this cake interesting since Bubur Hitam is his favourite local dessert while custard is something he loves to bits. True enough, his face literally lit up after the first bite and I knew I've hit spot on!

What else but thumbs up from my man?! :)

This magic custard cakes retains its unique 3 layers. The bottom layer is denser and kueh-like probably due to the flour batter, the middle is a custard layer from the egg yolks while the top and fluffy layer is from the egg meringue floating to the top.

I love the richness from the coconut cream, the rustic flavour from the gula melaka flavour and the slight purple hue from the black glutinous rice flour.

A pretty and magical cake indeed!

Pulut Hitam Magic Custard Cake

makes a 8" square pan

Ingredients:

113g unsalted butter

400g milk
200ml coconut cream (I use kara)
1 tbspn water

4 eggs, separated
115g black glutinous rice flour

150g gula melaka, chopped

2 tbspn sugar

extra confectioner's sugar for dusting (optional)

Method:

1. Lightly grease and line a 8"x8" square pan. Ensure that the baking paper is higher than the baking pan.

2. Preheat the oven to 160ºC.

3. Sift flour in a bowl. Set aside.

4. Melt the butter and set aside to cool slightly.

5. Warm the coconut cream and add in the chopped gula melaka. Cook over low heat until the gula melaka has melted.

6. Add in the milk and warm the mixture to lukewarm. Set aside.

7. In a clean bowl, whisk egg whites till foamy. Add 2 tablespoon sugar and whisk to stiff peaks.

8. In a big mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks until light.

9. Beat in the melted butter and the tablespoon of water for about 2 minutes or until evenly incorporated.

10. Mix in flour until evenly incorporated.

11. Gently stir in the milk mixture until everything is well mixed. I whisk in by hand as it is a very liquid batter to avoid splattering.

12. Fold in the egg whites, 1/3 at a time. Repeat until all of the egg whites are folded in.

13. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50-55 minutes or until the top is golden.

14. Allow cake to completely cool on a wire rack.

15. Cover the top of the cake pan with cling wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours before removing the cake from the pan.

16. Trim the sides of the cakes, decorate as desired and serve.

Some important pointers:

- Temperature of the ingredients are important. The milk should only be lukewarm so that it does not cook the eggs.

- As the batter is very liquid, it is better to use a hand whisk rather than an electric whisk. Otherwise, you'll end up having to clean up all the splatters.

- When folding in the meringue to the egg yolk mixture, I prefer to use a hand whisk. The mixture is very liquid and curdly. Have no fear, this is normal. Just fold in the whites gently till there's not big chunks of whites left.

- For ease of removal from the cake pan, line with parchment paper. Have about 1 1/2 - 2 inches of parchment paper hanging outside the pan so that the cake can be easily lifted up the cake pan.

- As the cake from the oven will be wobbly and jiggery, I will chill it in the fridge (with a cling wrap covering the pan) after it is completely cooled on wire rack. I find it easier to remove from the cake pan and cut the cake after it has been chilled in the fridge.

- The cake will shrink after it is cooled, so do not be too alarmed.

- Trim the sides of the cake so that you can present the 3 magical layers.