Durban - A chiffon cake is a light delicate cake made with vegetable oil.
In order to make this high-rise cake, it is essential that the egg whites are well beaten and folded carefully into the cake mixture. It is important not to overbeat the egg whites as this can cause your cake to crack and have a dry texture.
The cake mixture is then poured into a special chiffon cake pan that has a central cylinder (which causes a hole in the centre of the finished cake) and legs protruding above the rim of the pan. When the cake is cooling, the tin is inverted and the legs suspend the cake and prevent it from touching the surface.
These pans must not be greased or floured otherwise the cake will have difficulty rising up the sides.
After removing the cake from the oven, turn it upside down and let it cool almost completely before turning it out of the chiffon pan. Use a knife to run along the outside and inside edges (round the cylinder) of the chiffon tin gently.
Then take out the cylinder at the centre to remove the cake from the pan.
ROSE CHIFFON CAKE
375ml flour
10ml baking powder
190ml castor sugar
100ml oil
6 eggs separated
80ml water
a few drops of pink food colouring
5ml rose essence
grated rind of 1 lemon
80ml extra castor sugar
Icing
375ml sifted icing sugar
Water to mix
Pink food colouring
3ml rose essence
Rose petals for decoration
Chopped Turkish delight for decoration
Sift the flour, baking powder and castor sugar into a large mixing bowl.
Make a well in the centre of the flour and add the oil, egg yolks and water, mix well with a wooden spoon until smooth. Add the essence and a drop of food colouring and the lemon rind.
Beat the egg whites until stiff, but not dry, and gradually beat in the extra castor sugar.
Loosen the batter by mixing in a large spoonful of the egg white mixture then carefully fold the remaining egg whites into the batter.
Pour mixture into an ungreased chiffon pan and bake at 180ºC for 30-40 minutes until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven, invert pan and leave to cool completely. Remove from the pan and spoon over the icing and decorate with rose petals and pieces of Turkish delight if desired.
ICING: Put the icing sugar in a bowl. Add enough water to make a thick icing of spreading consistency. Add the colouring and rose essence.
COFFEE CHIFFON CAKE
250ml flour
125ml cornflour
10ml baking powder
160ml castor sugar
100ml oil
7 eggs, separated
80ml strong black coffee
5ml vanilla essence
80ml extra castor sugar
Coffee icing
125 butter
375ml sifted icing sugar
30ml coffee powder dissolved in
15ml hot water
Sift the flour, cornflour, baking powder and castor sugar into a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and add in the oil, egg yolks, coffee and vanilla. Mix well until smooth.
Beat the egg whites until stiff, but not dry, and gradually beat in the extra castor sugar. Loosen the batter by mixing in a large spoonful of the egg whites then carefully fold in the remaining egg white mixture. Pour mixture into a large 24cm chiffon pan.
Bake at 180ºC for 40-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Remove from oven, invert and leave to cool completely.
Carefully loosen cake from the sides of the pan with a knife and remove.
Top with coffee icing and decorate with chocolate-coated coffee beans.
ICING: Cream the butter until fluffy. Add the icing sugar and cooled coffee mixture and beat until a light spreadable consistency. Add more water if necessary to achieve this.
Sunday Tribune