Pumpkin-Gula Melaka Chiffon Cake

I was given half of a huge pumpkin by a friend.  As my children don't like pumpkin, I can only think of making pumpkin cakes or pumpkin bread.  Actually I am not a fan of pumpkin, but I really love pumpkin chiffon cakes and pumpkin bread.  This chiffon cake turns out so beautiful as the pumpkin gives the cake a natural and beautiful golden yellow hue while the gula melaka (palm sugar) and coconut milk gives such a beautiful sweet coconut-y aroma. And guess what, my children ate it without asking what's in the cake ;-)

I am using extra-large eggs which weighed 59g each (with shell)

infuse pandan leaves in palm sugar syrup

mashed pumpkin

combine syrup, pumpkin and oil

Syrup:
90g gula melaka (palm sugar), chopped or grated
40g coconut milk
1/4 tsp salt
2 blades pandan leaves, cut into short lengths

Cake batter:
5 egg yolks (89g)
50g Rice Bran oil
70g mashed pumpkin
75g self-raising flour
15g rice flour

5 egg whites (169g)
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
55g caster sugar

• Place gula melaka, coconut milk, salt and pandan leaves in a small saucepan and cook until gula melaka melted.  Strain the syrup through a sieve.  Add in oil and mashed pumpkin, stir to combine.  Set aside.
• In a clean bowl, whisk egg whites until frothy.  Add in cream of tartar and whisk until soft peaks formed.  Gradually add in sugar and whisk until stiff peaks formed.
• In a separate mixing bowl, beat egg yolks until light and pale.  Add in the pumpkin mixture and beat until combined.  Mix in flour in 3 batches.
• Put in 1/3 of the meringue and mix to lighten the batter.  Then gently fold in the rest of the meringue in 3 batches.  Mix until no white streaks remain.
• Pour batter into an ungreased 20cm tube pan and bake in a preheated oven of 155°C for 1 hr 30 minutes.  
• Invert the cake pan to cool completely before unmoulding the cake.

Slow-cooked Pork Belly

Ingredients:
1kg pork belly, cut into big pieces
1 head garlic (about 40g)
20g gula melaka (palm sugar), grated
2 tbsp oil
2 cups water (approx)

Sauce:
1.5 tbsp dark soy sauce
3 tbsp light soy sauce
3 tbsp Chinese cooking wine
1 tsp white pepper

Blanch meat in boiling water for 2 minutes.  Drain and set aside.

In a wok over medium-low fire, add in oil and palm sugar.  Caramelise the sugar slightly before adding in the pork to coat evenly.

Stir in sauce and continue frying for about a minute or so.

• Transfer the meat into a saucepan.  Add in garlic and water (enough to submerge the pork).
• Slowly bring to the boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 1.5 hours or until pork is very tender (stir occasionally to prevent meat from sticking to the bottom of the saucepan).
• Uncover the saucepan and cook the pork over medium fire to reduce the sauce.
• Serve hot with rice.