Earl Grey Chestnut Whoopie Pie

Ingredients

Cake Base

15g milk

12g vegetable oil

30g cake flour

3 eggs

35g granulated sugar

1 bag of Earl Grey

5g lemon juice

5g vanilla extract

Chestnut Sauce

150g milk

1 bag of Earl Grey

120g cooked chestnuts

Whipped Cream

240g heavy cream

24g granulated sugar

Filling

Mini chocolate crispy balls

Notes: By cake flour, I mean low protein flour, which normally contains 7-9% protein (Mine is around 8%). Not self-rising flour.

Steps:

1. In a clean bowl, separate the eggs. Keep the egg white bowl cool in the fridge.
2. In another bowl, bring together a bag of earl grey, hot milk and vegetable oil and mix well. Add in cake flour and egg yolks and mix well. Set aside.
3. Preheat the oven to 320℉(160℃). Line the baking tray with parchment paper or baking mat.
4. Take the egg white bowl out of the fridge. Add in lemon juice, sugar and vanilla extract, and use a hand mixer to beat until stiff peaks form. Take a scoop of whipped egg white and gently fold it into the batter until just combined. Pour all the batter into the whipped egg white and gently fold it in until just combined. Transfer into a piping bag. Pipe on the baking mat. This recipe can make 12 cake layers (5 cm in diameter). Send into the oven to bake for 20 minutes.
5. In a clean bowl, bring together 150g hot milk and a bag of earl grey. Mix well and pour the liquid into the cooked chestnuts. Use a food blender to beat until smooth. Sift once. Bring together the chestnut paste, heavy cream and sugar. Use a hand mixer to beat until stiff peaks form.
6. Assemble the pies. Pipe the chestnut cream filling onto the flat side of the cake layer, add a scoop of chocolate crispy balls in the middle, cover it with a layer of cream, and top with another cake layer. Cover the whole pie with chestnut cream, garnish with chocolate crispy balls, cooked chestnut and cocoa powder.