Orange Chiffon Cake
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Preparation time: 45 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
- 1.5 cups/225g/8ozs. cake flour*, sifted twice see note
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 2/3 cups/250g/8.8ozs caster or superfine sugar
- 180ml/6flozs. orange juice
- 100ml/3.5flozs. oil
- 110g/3.9ozs egg yolks (around 6 yolks)
- 2 tablespoons finely grated orange zest (from 2 oranges)
- 250g/8.8ozs egg whites (around 6 large egg whites)
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/4 cup/55g/2ozs. caster or superfine sugar
For Cream
- 600g/21flozs cream
- 3 tablespoons caster or superfine sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
You will need a chiffon tin to make this cake. This is a non stick cake tin in two parts with a tub in the centre.
Cake flour can be bought at the supermarket. You can also make it at home. To make 1 cup/150g/5.2ozs of cake flour replace 2 tablespoons of plain all purpose flour with cornflour/fine cornstarch and whisk well. I usually mix up a big batch of this and keep it in a container ready for baking cakes as it produces a softer texture.
Step 1 - Preheat oven to 170C/340F and have a 23cm/9inch chiffon cake tin ready (do not grease and it must not be a non stick tin). Also it's important that the whisk and bowl are very clean and have no traces of fat on them.
Step 2 - Whisk the cake flour, baking powder and sugar in a large bowl together until well combined. In a jug whisk the juice, oil and egg yolks together until emulsified. Make a well in the centre of the flour and gradually add the oil mixture in stirring with a spatula so that there are no lumps. Add the zest, and mix until distributed.
Step 3 - Whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar until you get soft peaks. Add the1/4 cup of sugar in a stream and whisk until firm peaks form. In four lots, gently fold the meringue mixture into the main batter trying not to deflate the mixture. Make sure that the egg whites are incorporated well and there are no streaks.
Step 4 - Spoon into the tin leaving 2cm or 3/4 an inch space from the top. Smooth over with an angled spatula. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until the top springs back when touched.
Step 5 - As soon as the cake is ready, immediately turn it over onto a plate and allow to cool upside down until it is completely cooled. Run a thin knife along the sides of the cake tin and then run it across the top to dislodge it from the tin (you can also use dental floss for the top). Place on a cake disc or a serving plate.
Step 6 - Chill the mixer bowl, beater and an angled spatula in the fridge. Whisk the cream, sugar and vanilla until you get stiff peaks that can hold their shape. Take 1/3 of this cream and store in the fridge. Then cut the cake in three parts horizontally. Spread each cut layer with cream and place another layer on top. Use the rest of this cream to cover the cake-this will be a crumb coat to catch the crumbs, you will then cover the cake again with the remaining cream. Using the angled spatula spread the remaining third of the whipped cream over the cake. Cover and store the cake in the fridge.