Bubble Tea Chiffon Cake

🧾 Ingredients

🌿 For the Milk Tea Chiffon Cake:

• 1 ¼ cups (155g) cake flour (or sifted all-purpose flour)
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 5 large egg yolks
• ⅓ cup (70g) granulated sugar (for yolks)
• ¼ cup (60ml) neutral oil (like canola or sunflower)
• ½ cup (120ml) strong brewed black tea (Earl Grey, Assam, or Thai tea), cooled
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 5 large egg whites
• ¼ tsp cream of tartar
• ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar (for whites)

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🧉 Brown Sugar Boba Syrup (Optional but amazing):

• ½ cup tapioca pearls (boba)
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup water

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☁️ Milk Tea Cream Topping:

• ¾ cup whipping cream
• 1 tbsp condensed milk (optional, for sweetness)
• 1 tbsp milk tea concentrate (or 1 tbsp very strong black tea + ½ tsp brown sugar)
• ¼ tsp vanilla or tea extract (optional)

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👩‍🍳 Instructions

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1. Make the Milk Tea:

• Brew 2–3 black tea bags in ½ cup boiling water. Let cool fully. (Strong is better for flavor!)

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2. Prepare the Chiffon Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Use an ungreased 7–8 inch tube pan or chiffon pan.
2. In a bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. In another bowl, whisk yolks with sugar until pale. Add oil, vanilla, and cooled milk tea.
4. Mix in dry ingredients until smooth.
5. In a clean bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until frothy.
6. Gradually add sugar and beat to stiff peaks.
7. Gently fold egg whites into the yolk batter in thirds — be careful not to deflate.
8. Pour into the pan and smooth the top.

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3. Bake & Cool:

• Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until golden and springy.
• Invert pan and let cool completely upside down.
• Once cool, run a knife around edges and remove.

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4. Make the Brown Sugar Boba Syrup (Optional):

1. Cook tapioca pearls as per package (usually 5–10 minutes).
2. Drain and simmer with brown sugar + water for 3–4 mins until syrupy.
3. Cool and spoon around the base or over the top when serving.

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5. Make the Milk Tea Cream:

1. Whip cream to soft-medium peaks with milk tea concentrate and condensed milk.
2. Chill until ready to use.

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6. Decorate & Serve:

• Spread or pipe the milk tea cream on top of the cooled cake.
• Spoon boba pearls over the top.
• Optional: Dust with black tea powder, crushed biscuits, or brown sugar crystals.

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🧊 Storage:

• Best served fresh. Store in fridge for up to 2 days once topped.
• Cake alone (no cream) lasts 3–4 days in an airtight container.

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💡 Variations:

• Make a Thai tea version (swap milk tea for Thai tea + sweetened condensed milk)
• Add a layer of milk tea custard inside a sliced chiffon
• Turn it into mini chiffon cupcakes with whipped cream domes and single boba on top