Ghee Cake

Most of them from South India must have heard about Cochin Bakery. They have a cake known as Ghee cake. As the name suggests Ghee is the main ingredient. Its a loaf cake with strong flavor of ghee and extremely soft texture. From my childhood days I have been in love with this cake..I have been searching the recipe from long but there was nothing that I found. At last my search ended here. Though it is pound cake recipe where butter is replaced with ghee. I did remove the lemon zest and reduced the vanilla as my memory of eating the cake brought the flavor of ghee to me. The texture of cake is a bit softer than pound cake.

All Purpose Flour/Maida-2 cups/250gms
Baking Powder-1 tsp
Baking Soda-1/4 tsp
Pure Ghee/Clarified butter-250gms/1 cup+1 tbsp+2 tsp
Powdered Sugar-250gms
Eggs-4 nos(Yellow and White separated)
Milk-1/2 cup
Sugar-2 tsp
Vanilla Essence-1/2 tsp

Method of Preparation:
1. In a bowl sift together APF, Baking powder and Baking Soda.
2. In another bowl, beat together ghee and powdered sugar with an electric beater on medium speed until light and fluffy. Then add egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each inclusion.
3. With the beater on low speed, alternately add flour and milk to Ghee mixture, beginning and ending with flour.
4. In another bowl whisk egg whites, then gradually add 2 tsp sugar and vanilla essence and continue to beat until stiff. Fold egg white mixture in to the ghee mix.
5. Pour in to a well-greased cake tin and bake in a preheated oven of 350F for 50-55 minutes, or till a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Notes:
1. Ghee cakes have a strong taste and smell of ghee and that is great.
2. Use a pan which holds the batter upto 3/4 of it.