How to Make the Perfect Chiffon Cake

Known for their lightweight and fluffiness, chiffon cake is the favourite dessert of many. Pronounced as SHE-fon cake, this delicacy is prepared from simple ingredients including oil, eggs, sugar, flour and flavouring which gives a chiffon cake a light and spongy texture.

However, unlike other sponge cakes that use artificial leavener such as baking soda and baking powder, chiffon cakes are leavened mostly from the meringue that is stiffly beaten egg whites. To bake a chiffon cake, one requires a pan at least 4 inches deep and the cake must be cooled upside down to retain its height.

However, baking a chiffon cake may seem a daunting task to some and they prefer ordering designer cakes online, but this Japanese pastry is totally worth it if you master the basics of a simple recipe. Here is the chiffon cake recipe that will help you bake the perfect cake.

INGREDIENTS

1. Dry Ingredients

2 1/2 cups cake flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp table salt

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2. Wet Ingredients

5 tsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1/2 cup vegetable, canola, or avocado oil

1 cup buttermilk at room temperature

2 tsp vanilla extract

6 large egg yolks at room temperature

3. Meringue

3 large egg whites at room temperature

1/4 cup granulated sugar

RECIPE

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C) and prepare your pans by lining the bottom with parchment paper and greasing the bottom and sides of the pans, if you are using traditional round tins, however, if you are using a tube pan, grease only the bottom of the pan and not the sides or the tube.

Step 2: Begin with measuring out all your ingredients for each section, and sift all the dry ingredients together including the cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, sugar into a large bowl and then wish together to combine and now keep them aside.

Step 3: Take a separate bowl and whisk together all the wet ingredients including melted butter, oil, buttermilk, vanilla extract, egg yolks and keep them aside.

Step 4: To make the meringue, take a bowl of a mixer and beat the egg white on medium to high speed until medium peaks are formed. While the mixer is still running, stream in the sugar and keep beating the egg whites until stiff peaks are formed.

Step 5: Now, combine all the wet and dry ingredients together and stir together with a rubber spatula. Once the dry ingredients are saturated, add around ½ cup of egg whites into the mixture and stir it completely to lighten the batter.

Step 6: Now add in ½ of the remaining egg whites and gently fold them so as not to deflate them. Add in the rest of the egg whites, fold in gently and pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Step 7: If you are baking in a tube pan, bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes and if you are baking in a round pan, bake the batter for about 20-30 minutes.

Step 8: To check whether the cake is baked, gently press on it and it is firm and springs back, your cake is ready.

Step 9: Now set the cake pan on a cooling rack and allow it to cool completely before turning it out of the pan. Serve it as your heart desires.

This fluffy chiffon cake recipe will surely get you drooling at its end result. However, you can find some best cake shops and order some of the best chocolate cakes online, if you do not wish to bake one and satiate your sweet tooth to the fullest.