Durian cake & cream puffs

Now it's the durian season again and best time to bake a durian cake and cream puffs for my Aunt Ivy's birthday! Yummy cake, durian cream, cream puffs!

Vanilla sponge cake (makes a 6" round cake) 

Ingredients:

(A)
75g cake flour/superfine flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
5g milk powder

(B)
30g cooking oil
25g water
2 (38g) yolks
40g castor sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

(C)
2 (75g) whites
45g castor sugar (original 50g)
1/8 tsp cream of tartar

Method
1. Sift ingredients (A) and put it aside
2. Whisk yolks and sugar till it turns lemon color
3. Add oil, water and vanilla and mix till well blended
4. Add ingredients (A) and mix it slowly till it forms a smooth batter
5. Whisk (C) till stiff
6. Fold in 1/3 of egg white mixture into egg yolk mixture and gently stir, then fold in the remaining egg white mixture and mix well gently
7. Pour batter into a lined 6" round cake tin
8. Bake in a preheated oven 180C for 25-30 mins or till it springs back when touched
9. Removed from oven and invert the cake on the wire rack until completed cooled.

10. Cut into 3 equal slices. 

Durian cream

3 cups whipping cream

1 tbsp icing sugar 

Durian pulps (approximately 3 durians) 

(Quantity enough to cream the 6" cake and for the cream puffs) 

1. Whisk the whipping cream with icing sugar. 

2. Mix in durian pulps. Keep some fresh durian pulps for assembling the cake. 

Assembly

1. Slice sponge cake into 3 layers.

2. Spread durian cream on the 1st layer and spoon some fresh durian pulps. Repeat the same for 2nd layer. 

3. Spread the top and sides of cake with the durian cream. 

4. Chill well before serving. 

Durian cream puffs (aka Pate a choux puffs)

(recipe adapted from Bisous A Toi, copied here for ready reference) 

Ingredients 

1 cup (250ml) water

115g unsalted butter, cut into cubes

2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup (140g) all purpose flour

4 large eggs

Glaze (optional)

1 large egg yolk

1 tsp whole milk 

Method:

1. In a saucepan, add all ingredients except flour. Boil over medium high heat, stirring gently. 
2. Once mixture begins to boil, add the flour all at once and stir rapidly with a spatula until the mixture forms a thick paste and pulls away from the sides of the pan. 
3. Remove from heat and transfer to mixer bowl.
4. Using mixer with paddle attachment, beat the mixture until slightly cool. Add in one egg at a time, making sure each one is completely incorporated before adding the next. 
5. Prepare tray with baking sheet. 
6. Transfer into piping bag with a small tip. Pipe puff about 1 inch in size , leaving 1/2 inch spacing between each puff. 
7. (For puff with shiny glaze, brush the tops of puffs without letting the glaze drip down the sides, which will inhibit rising.)
8. Bake a pre-heated oven 220 deg C for 25 to 30 mins, or until golden brown. Let the puffs rest in oven for 5 mins.
9. Remove from oven and poke each puff in the side with a paring knife so that it releases its steam. Cool completely. 

Assembly

1. Slit the puffs and spoon durian cream.

2. Chill before serving. (I left them in the freezer for fast chilling and it turn out good too!)