Recently, I became fascinated with jiu niang (non-promotional recommendation: Hema’s Xiaogan Jiu Niang, a versatile staple for drinks and desserts). I wanted to create a mousse with less cream, no butter or biscuit base, and relatively healthy with low sugar. After countless unsatisfactory recipes, I customized my own version: oil-free yogurt chiffon base + jiu niang yogurt mousse + osmanthus jelly! It has a delicate Jiangnan flavor—sweet but not cloying, with a soft texture. I started writing the recipe after just one bite.
Oil-Free Yogurt Chiffon (one 6-inch slice, with extra): – Eggs: 3 – Unsweetened thick yogurt: 80g – Cake flour: 50g – Sugar: 20g Jiu Niang Yogurt Mousse (6-inch): – Whipping cream: 144g – Powdered sugar/white sugar: 16g – Unsweetened thick yogurt: 216g – Jiu niang (more rice than juice): 40g – Gelatin sheets: 12g – Milk: 80g Osmanthus Jelly (6-inch): – Hot water: 80ml – Sugar: 8g – Dried osmanthus: 1g – Gelatin sheets: 4g The ingredient list is for a 6-inch cake. I multiplied it by 1.25 to make two additional 280ml square boxes. For one 6-inch cake and two boxes: Chiffon: Eggs 3, unsweetened thick yogurt 80g, cake flour 50g, sugar 20g. Mousse: Unsweetened thick yogurt 270g, whipping cream 180g, powdered sugar 20g, jiu niang 50g, gelatin sheets 15g, milk 100g. Osmanthus jelly: Hot water 100g, sugar 10g, dried osmanthus 2g, gelatin sheets 5g. Prepare the chiffon conventionally: mix egg yolks, yogurt, and flour; whip egg whites with sugar and fold in three times. I made a shorter 6-inch base to avoid slicing (for better appearance). Excess batter can be used for half a cake base (enough for two boxes). Bake at 150°C for 15 minutes (adjust for your oven). For mousse boxes, cut the cake by inverting the box onto the base. While cooling, make the mousse: whip cream and sugar until textured (I used powdered sugar for smoother mixing). Add yogurt and jiu niang, mix briefly. Soak gelatin in cold water, dissolve in warmed milk, and combine with mousse mixture. Pour over the cake and refrigerate for 3 hours. For the osmanthus jelly: mix dried osmanthus, sugar, hot water, and softened gelatin. Cool slightly, pour over the mousse, and refrigerate until set. Run a knife along the mold edge for easy demolding. Mousse boxes eliminate demolding and are ideal for gifting.
