Lavender chiffon cake and cupcakes

My ex-colleague was recently hospitalised and I was thinking of baking something "light" when I visit her. I did a Lavender chiffon cake before and since it's not readily available in the market, reckon it would be special too! 

The original recipe is for 8" chiffon tube pan, but I baked them in 6" chiffon tube pan (baking time reduced to 25 mins) and remaining batter into cupcakes (baking time 18 - 20 mins).  

Recipe for Lavender Chiffon Cake
(Makes a 8" tube pan)


Ingredients:5 Egg yolks
20g Caster sugar
90g Whole milk
50g Cooking oil (replaced with olive oil) 
1/4tsp Salt
1 tsp Dried Lavender
Zest from one Lemon
120g Self-raising flour
5 Egg whites
70 Caster sugar
1 tsp Corn flour


Method:

1. In a heatproof bowl, microwave dried lavender with milk for about 20secs at high heat. This is to bring out the fragrance of the lavender. Leave aside. (I boil the milk & lavender in a small pot over low heat.)
2. Mix egg yolks with sugar till light yellow.
3. Add in salt, lavender with milk and cooking oil. Mix well.
4. Sift in self-raising flour and mix well.
5. In a separate clean bowl, beat egg whites till foamy.
6. Mix in corn flour into caster sugar. Gradually add in the sugar into the egg whites till soft peaks.
7. Take one-third of the egg whites and fold into the egg yolk batter.
8. Continue to fold in the egg whites into the egg yolk batter in two batches.
9. Pour the batter into the prepared tube pan. Bang it hard onto the table top.
10. Bake at preheated oven of 180C for 45mins.
11. Remove from the oven and invert the cake until completely cooled.

I'm also linking this post to Bake Along for this week's theme of Chiffon Cakes jointly hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours, Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids and Lena of Frozen Wings.