C
hiffon is a fabric that is usually used for evening gowns and it denotes high style and fashion. It is elegant, lightweight and sheer – just like the chiffon cake!
Who Invented Chiffon Cake?
According to the book “Kitchen Culture: Fifty Years of Food Fads” written by author Geraldine Schremp, a new cake was invented by Californian insurance salesman Henry Baker (no pun intended) in 1927. Go figure! A salesman with the last name ‘Baker’ – now, if that was not a sign from above, I don’t know what is! Anyway, he kept the recipe a secret for years, earning good money by selling his cakes to Hollywood restaurants. Finally, in 1947 he sold his secret formula to General Mills – an American multinational manufacturer and marketer of branded consumer foods, and suddenly, every housewife in America could make this light, but at the same time rich and sophisticated cake, because the recipe for chiffon cake was printed on packages of cake flour!
Tips & Tricks of Making the Chiffon Cake
The secret ingredient of chiffon cake is vegetable oil – can you imagine? At that time, bakers used butter or shortening to make cakes. Those cakes were, like pound cake, delicious, rich and heavy. Henry Baker came to an idea to use oil instead of butter, and he ended up with extra light, but moist and tasty cake that could last for couple of days without drying out. He used sunflower oil, but canola, grape seed or any other neutral flavored vegetable oil will work just fine as well.
To make Chiffon cake, you will need a special cake mold. The great thing is – you will also make angel food cake in the same pan! Once the cake is done, you need to turn the mold upside down and leave it that way for the cake to cool. Put the cake along with the mold onto a bottle or a funnel. That will allow the air to circulate under the cake, which will prevent condensation and speed up the cooling. One more important thing – do not grease the mold! It is very important that the batter sticks to the sides of the mold while rising. That way, the cake won’t collapse while cooling, and it will remain airy and light.
How to Make Chiffon Cake
- Sift the dry ingredients – flour, one part of the sugar, baking powder and salt into a bowl.
- Combine egg yolks, oil, juice and flavorings into another bowl.
- Make French meringue from egg whites and the rest of the sugar in your stand mixer. Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks, and gradually add sugar. Continue whisking until they form stiff peaks.
- Pour all the liquid ingredients into the dry ones and mix to combine.
- Fold French meringue into the mixture and immediately pour into the ungreased mold.
- Bake at 180°C (350°F) for about one hour, until the toothpick comes out clean.
- When the cake is done, turn the mold upside down and leave it to cool completely, and then release from the mold using small offset spatula.
- For the glaze,make chocolate ganache. Pour hot cream over chopped chocolate, wait for one minute until the cream melts the chocolate, and stir until you get glossy ganache. Pour ganache over the cooled chiffon cake.
Marble Chiffon Cake Recipe
by:Tereza Alabanda,The Pastry Maestra
PRINT PDF (EN) ISPIŠI PDF (HR)Prep. time : 25 minutes
Cook time : 60 minutes
Ready in 85 minutes plus cooling
Level : Advanced
Ingredients: Chiffon Cake:- All purpose flour 240g (8.5oz)
- Sugar 180g (6.3oz)
- Baking powder 12g (1Tbsp)
- Salt – a pinch
- Vegetable oil 120g (4.2oz)
- Egg yolks 120g (4.2oz)
- Cold water 60g (2.1oz)
- Orange juice 120g (4.2oz)
- Orange zest 6g (1Tbsp)
- Vanilla powder
- Egg whites 240g (8.5oz)
- Sugar 180g (6.3oz)
- Cocoa powder 45g (1.6oz)
- Sugar 60g (2.1oz)
- Boiling water 60g (2.1oz)
- Chocolate 60% 200g (7oz)
- Whipping cream 200g (7oz)
- Place sifted flour, 180g (6.3oz) of sugar, baking powder and salt into a large bowl.
- Combine 120g (4.2oz) of vegetable oil, egg yolks, 60g (2.1oz) of cold water, 120g (4.2oz) of orange juice, orange zest and vanilla into another bowl.
- Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks. Add 180g (6.3oz) of sugar gradually, and continue whisking until you get stiff peaks.
- Mix cocoa powder, 60g (2.1oz) of sugar and 60g (2.1oz) of boiling water, and set it aside.
- Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ones and mix well.
- Fold French meringue into the mixture, and divide the mixture in two bowls.
- Mix cocoa paste into one half of the mixture.
- Pour about half of the chocolate mixture into the ungreased mold. Pour approximately half white mixture in the middle of the chocolate one all around the mold. Pour the rest of the chocolate batter into the mold, and finish with remaining white batter. Insert a skewer or a cake tester into the batter, and swirl through the mixture to get marbled effect.
- Bake at 180°C (350°F) until the cake tester comes out clean, for about one hour.
- Take it out from the oven and invert the mold onto a funnel or a glass bottle. Leave it to cool down completely upside down.
- Take the cooled cake out of the mold using a small offset spatula.
- Make ganache for the glaze. Bring cream to a boil and pour it over chopped chocolate. Wait for a minute until the hot cream melts the chocolate, and then, stir the mixture until nice and glossy.
- Pour the glaze over the cake and decorate it with freshly grated orange zest.
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