BLACK SESAME COTTONY CAKE [OGURA CAKE]

Like some blogger friends, I just loved to bake this kind of cakes popularly known to all as Ogura Cakes.    But, I prefer to call them Cottony cakes as they are really soft, moist and fine in texture.  These cakes can be baked either small or big, the smallest which I have baked uses 3 eggs and the biggest using 7 eggs.  Your choice will depend on your requirement and the size of the pans that you have.   Honestly, it is worthwhile to bake a bigger cake cos' it keeps well for long time in the refrigerator.  

Back to this black sesame flavour cake, it is aromatic, not bitter at all and the sweetness is just nice [original uses 100 gm castor sugar].   From the photos, you would noticed that the top part is greener cos' I added a little green colouring to create a dual colour.  This is optional, you can either omit or make the whole cake greenest black instead of the dual colour.    I added the green colour cos' I was 'haunted' by my MIL's remarks 'Don't make dark coloured cakes, they don't look nice'. Must overcome this phobia soon.....

Ingredients
[8 or 9 inch square baking tin]
[recipe from a food magazine with modifications]
5 egg yolks
1 egg
60 ml corn oil [I used 50 ml]
70 ml milk
65 gm cake flour  - sifted - set aside
50 gm black sesame powder [I grinded toasted black sesame seeds into paste]
1/4 tsp salt

5 egg whites
70-80 gm sugar [original uses 100 gm - too sweet]
1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1. Line base of a 8" square tin with grease proof paper.   I greased the sides, too and sprinkle lightly with a little flour [this way, the cake can be easily removed from pan after cooling].
2. Preheat oven to 160 degrees C.    Place a baking tray on the lowest rack, pour in enough water [about 1.5 cups] for steam baking, then place a baking rack over it.  
3. Whisk egg yolks and 1 whole egg until creamy then gradually drizzle in the corn oil followed by milk.    Whisk until well combined.
4. Fold in sifted flour and black sesame paste, stir until batter is smooth.  Set aside.
5. Use a cake mixer, whisk egg whites until frothy, then add in cream of tartar.  Beat until soft peaks then gradually add in the sugar in 3 batches and whisk until stiff peaks formed.  Do not over beat egg whites otherwise it may be difficult to fold in to egg yolk mixture.
6. Fold in 1/3 of the meringue into the egg yolk mixture until combined.   Then fold in the rest of the meringue lightly in two portions until well combined. 
7. Remove 1/2 of the cake batter to another bowl.  Add in the a little green colouring, mix well [optional step].
8. Pour the black sesame batter into prepared cake tin [smoothen with a spatula] then put the green portion over the black sesame batter.  Tap baking tray on work surface a few times to release trapped air bubbles before baking.  
   
   
9. Place it over the baking rack to steam bake cake in a preheated oven at 160 degrees C for 70 minutes [by then the water bath would have dried up].  
   
   
   
   
10. Remove cake and invert it to cool for about 5 minutes [otherwise the cake base may be moist because of vapour from steam-baking].   Remove baking tin and the paper linings immediately and leave cake to cool on a wire rack [base facing upwards].  The cake may shrink a little when cooled because of less flour used [low gluten cake].
11. Turn the cake over when completely cooled.  Refrigerate before slicing if preferred.