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Yuzu cake with whipped cream.

Yuzu Pound Cake with Cream Cheese Whipped Cream

Matt
A moist, buttery pound cake with bright yuzu flavor from bottled yuzu cha, no fresh yuzu needed. Baked in a small 18 cm loaf pan and topped with tangy cream cheese whipped cream, it's an easy way to bring Japanese citrus into an everyday bake.
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Cook Time 35 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine English, Japanese

Ingredients
  

For the Cake

  • 100 g cake flour
  • 3 g baking powder
  • 40 g salted butter
  • 2 large eggs (about 64 g each), room temperature
  • 50 g granulated sugar
  • 40 g sour cream
  • 90 g yuzu cha (yuzu tea marmalade)
  • 2 thin slices butter for the center line

For the Cream Cheese Whipped Cream

  • 50 g cream cheese softened
  • 8 g powdered sugar
  • 100 g heavy cream
  • salt (optional) a tiny pinch
  • fresh mint (optional) as a garnish

Instructions
 

For the Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 320°F (160°C) and line an 18 cm loaf pan with parchment paper.
  • Whisk together the cake flour and baking powder in a medium-sized bowl; set aside.
  • Melt the salted butter in a water bath: place a glass pan with the butter directly in a saucepan filled with 1 inch of water. Bring the water to a gentle boil, then turn off the heat. Stir the butter with a spoon until fully melted, then cover to keep warm.
  • In a separate bowl, start mixing on low speed, then increase to high speed and whip the eggs and granulated sugar until pale and thick, until the batter holds a figure 8 shape about 1 cm high. Switch to low speed and mix for 30 seconds more. Set aside.
  • Sift about ⅔ of the flour mixture into the egg batter. Fold with a cutting, scooping motion, turning the bowl with your other hand, until no flour is visible.
  • Transfer the melted butter to a clean, medium-sized bowl. Then add the sour cream and stir together with a spoon until smooth.
  • Sift all of the remaining flour mixture into the butter and sour cream mixture and fold with a spatula until no dry flour remains. Mix on low speed for just a few seconds.
  • Add two scoops of the egg batter into the butter mixture with your spatula. Mix again on low speed for about 30 seconds.
  • Pour the butter mixture into the remaining egg batter and fold again with a cutting, scooping motion until the butter batter mixes in well.
  • Add the yuzu cha, brought to room temperature, and fold until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan and drop it on the counter 3 to 4 times to release air bubbles.
  • Lay two thin slices of butter, for the center line, on top of the batter. Make sure they are connected to form one solid line.
  • Bake at 320°F (160°C) for 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
  • Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then use the parchment overhang to lift it out of the pan and transfer it, still wrapped in parchment, to a wire rack to finish cooling.

For the Cream Cheese Whipped Cream

  • Beat the cream cheese in a chilled bowl with chilled beaters until completely smooth.
  • Add the powdered sugar and mix until combined.
  • Gradually add the cold heavy cream while mixing on low speed.
  • Increase to medium speed and whip to soft-to-medium peaks. Stop as soon as the beaters leave trails, since it can overwhip quickly.
  • Stir in a tiny pinch of salt, if using.
  • Slice the cake and add a dollop of whipped cream to the edge of each slice. Garnish with a fresh sprig of mint.

Notes

  • This recipe is sized for an 18 cm loaf pan. If you don't have one, divide the batter into a muffin or cupcake tin instead and start checking for doneness earlier, since smaller portions bake faster.
  • Keep the butter for the center line in one continuous, unbroken strip. Gaps in the line will give you an uneven crack, or none at all. Use a bit more butter if needed to ensure the strips are connected (see process photo #13).
  • Use fresh, cold heavy cream with at least 36% fat for the whipped cream. Stop whipping as soon as the beaters leave trails, that's already soft peaks, and going further will turn it grainy instead of thicker.
  • Once cooled, wrap the plain cake tightly and refrigerate for 3 to 4 days. If it's already topped with the whipped cream, eat within a couple of days, since the topping is dairy-based.
  • The cake can be baked a day ahead, wrapped well, and kept refrigerated. Make the whipped cream closer to serving time.
Keyword citron, citron cake, yuja cake, yuzu cake, yuzu loaf cake, yuzu pound cake
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