A cake so light your family and friends will be coming back for seconds, or thirds even!
The exorbitant prices of Chiffon Cake these days (or many other cakes for that matter!) has driven many home bakers like myself to the kitchen to create wallet friendly cakes. But if you're like most people, myself included, you'd declare "but I can't bake!" - my answer to you is "YES YOU CAN!" It's all in the methodology. With cakes and most baked goods, accurate measurements and methodology is key. Very much like a science experiment. With that in mind, here's Mum's super easy Orange Chiffon Cake. The key thing to keep in mind, be gentle and slow when folding in the egg whites. Other than that, it's just a step by step process that almost always guarantees a successful, tall and fluffy Chiffon Cake!
100ml Milk
100ml Oil
100ml Orange Juice
Grated Rind of one Orange (make sure not to grate the white part otherwise it will be bitter)
8oz Hong Kong Flour (sifted)
6oz Sugar (divided into 4oz and 2oz portions)
8 Large Eggs, separated
1 tsp Vanilla Essence
1 tsp Cream of Tartar
Orange colouring
1) Separate the Eggs. Key thing is - egg whites need to go into a CLEAN bowl that is free of water and grease, otherwise the whites will not be as fluffy.
2) Add the 1 tsp of Cream of Tartar to the whites.
3) In a separate bowl, combine the 8 Egg Yolks with the 100ml of Juice, 100ml of Milk and 100ml of Oil, 1 tsp of Vanilla Essence, 2oz of Caster Sugar, grated rind of 1 Orange, orange colouring (just a few drops) and whisk to combine.
4) Add the Sifted 8oz of Hong Kong Flour and whisk to combine.
5) In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites with the 1 tsp of Cream of Tartar and when frothy, start adding the 4oz of sugar a little at a time. Beat till stiff peaks form.
6) When done, add a little of the beaten egg whites to the yolk mixture and stir in gently to loosen the thick yolk mixture.
7) Very gently and slowly, fold in the egg whites about a large scoop at a time.
8) Pour into UNGREASED Chiffon Cake tin. Gently tap to remove any large air bubbles.
9) Bake at 160C for 1hr 20min
10) When done, remove from oven and invert straightaway.
11) When cooled, remove from tin.
12) And ENJOY!!