Kabocha Pumpkin Chiffon Cake with Kabocha Diplomat Cream
An incredibly light, airy Japanese-style chiffon cake flavored with naturally sweet kabocha squash paste, paired with a velvety Kabocha Diplomat Cream (Kabocha An + pastry cream + whipped cream).
Servings: 6 inch
Calories: 185kcal
Equipment
- 1 17cm (6-inch base / 7-inch top) chiffon cake mold
Ingredients
Kabocha Chiffon Cake
- 70 g egg yolks approx. 4 large yolks, room temperature
- 20 g granulated sugar for yolk batter
- 15 g Taihaku white sesame oil or neutral baking oil
- 50 g whole milk room temperature
- 60 g kabocha squash paste steamed, mashed, and finely strained
- 65 g Japanese pastry flour Violet brand or cake flour, sifted
- 2 g baking powder
- 110 g egg whites approx. 3–4 large whites, well-chilled
- 65 g granulated sugar for meringue
Kabocha An Base
- 300 g kabocha squash paste steamed, mashed, and finely strained
- 40 g granulated sugar
Kabocha Diplomat Cream Assembly
- 140 g Kabocha An cooled, from base above
- 70 g pastry cream chilled
- 25.5 g heavy cream chilled
- 2.5 g granulated sugar for whipped cream
Instructions
Kabocha Chiffon Cake
- Preheat your oven to 165°C (330°F). Prepare a 17cm aluminum chiffon cake pan, keeping it completely ungreased and dry.
- Sift in Japanese pastry flour and baking powder; whisk gently until smooth and free of lumps. (Optional: add 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice here if desired).
- In a separate oil-free bowl, beat cold egg whites until foamy. Add 65g sugar in three gradual additions, whipping until glossy, firm peaks form with a slight hook at the tip.
- Fold 1/3 of the meringue into the yolk mixture to loosen. Fold in the remaining meringue in two additions using a silicone spatula until just uniform.
- Pour batter into the ungreased pan from a slight height. Run a bamboo skewer in a spiral pattern to pop trapped air pockets.
- Bake at 165°C (330°F) for 35 to 40 minutes until the cake rises fully and springs back when pressed.
- Immediately invert the pan upside down over a bottle or rack. Allow to cool completely upside down for 2 to 3 hours before unmolding.
Kabocha An Base
- Prepare raw kabocha squash (steam deseeded chunks until tender and press flesh through a fine mesh sieve).
- Combine 300g strained kabocha paste and 40g sugar in a microwave-safe bowl.
- Microwave in 45-to-60-second bursts, stirring with a spatula between intervals to evaporate moisture until an anko-like texture is reached. Cool completely.
Kabocha Diplomat Cream
- Whip 25.5g heavy cream with 2.5g sugar to soft-to-medium peaks (yielding 28g whipped cream).
- Smooth 70g chilled pastry cream with a spatula, then whisk in 140g cooled Kabocha An until smooth.
- Gently fold in the 28g whipped cream until silky. Pipe onto cake.
Notes
- Kabocha Prep Guide: For step-by-step instructions on breaking down and storing fresh squash, see our tutorial on how to cut and store kabocha squash.
- Pan Requirement: Always use an ungreased aluminum chiffon pan. Greasing or using a non-stick pan will cause the batter to slide down and collapse instead of clinging to the sides as it rises.
- Inverting is Mandatory: Chiffon cakes must cool completely upside down immediately after baking to preserve their tall, feather-light structure without collapsing under gravity.
- Freezing Instructions: Wrap individual uncreamed cake slices or assembled creamed slices tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw in the refrigerator before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 185kcal