COCOA VANILLA BRANDY COTTONY CAKE [OGURA CAKE]

After baking the Chocolate Brandy Muffins which my hubby loves so much, I thought it would be good try to bake a cottony cake with brandy flavour. While I was beating the egg mixture, the fragrance of the brandy with vanilla essence was irresistible.

Also very happy with this bake as the cake base wasn't soggy and it didn't shrink much after cooling [the brandy may have some effects on this cake].  You can actually swirl the batter to create a marble effect if you like otherwise the layered pattern should look alright, too.
Ingredients for Egg Yolk Mixture

[using 8"  or 9" square tin]
65 gm superfine flour - sifted

1/4 tsp salt

5 egg yolks

1 whole egg

45 ml corn oil [3 tbsp]

60 ml milk mix with 1 tbsp brandy and 2 tsp vanilla essence

1. Place the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl and make well in the centre.  Add in eggs, corn oil and milk mixture.  Using a paddle hook, beat ingredients until creamy and well combined.   Set aside. 
2. Pour 1 and 1/2 cups water into baking tray, place baking rack on the tray and  preheat oven at 160 degrees C for 10 minutes.

Ingredients for Egg White Mixture
5 egg whites
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
65 gm castor sugar
2 tbsp cocoa powder dissolve with 1 tbsp hot water and 1 tbsp brandy - make into paste

1. Using an electric mixer, whisk egg white until frothy, add in cream of tartar and whisk until  slightly foamy.  Add in sugar in 3 batches.  Whisk until soft to stiff peaks formed.
2. Using a spatula, fold in 1/2 of the meringue into egg yolk mixture.  Lift and fold until well combined, then add to rest of meringue.  Fold again until well mix.
3. Remove 2/3 portion of batter, add in cocoa paste.  Mix well.  Keep the other 1/3 portion plain [vanilla and brandy flavour].
4. Pour 1/2 of the cocoa/brandy batter into a 8" square tin [line base with baking paper at the bottom only].   Add in the vanilla batter, spread batter evenly over the cocoa/brandy batter, then add in the remaining cocoa/brandy batter [you can swirl batter with a skewer for marble effect]. 
5. Smooth the surface with a spatula and steam bake in oven at 160 degrees C for 70 minutes.  [Note: for the water bath, use 1 and 1/2 cups water for the duration of baking.  This way the cake base will not be soggy after baking].
6. Invert the cake after baking  and let it cool slightly [about 5-10 minutes] before removing the pan and baking paper [there maybe some vapour on the baking paper].
7. Cool cake before slicing to serve or refrigerate for serving later.

Note: For this cake, I lightly greased the sides of the pan and sprinkled some flour over it.  Dust off excess flour and lined the base with parchment paper.  Cake sides were a little brown , crusty and easily dislodge from tin after cooling for about 10-15 minutes.