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.