FLUFFY, light and delicate, chiffon cake is perfect with a cuppa and even soya bean milk! A well-made chiffon cake perfumed with pandan extract is hard to resist. Apart from freshness of ingredients, mastering the techniques of mixing and blending for a homogenous batter ensures a good rise that results in a tall and sturdy confection with a tender crumb.
Total Time: 2 hours
Difficulty: 3/5
Cost: S$5.00
Yields: 1 cake
A: Egg Yolk Batter
10 egg yolks @70g each
60g castor sugar
100g cooking oil
200g cake flour, sifted
B: Pandan Extract
25 pandan leaves, washed and finely sliced
180ml coconut cream, first press
C: Whipped Egg Whites
10 egg whites
140g castor sugar
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
DIRECTIONS:
1. To make pandan-flavoured coconut milk, place leaves together with milk in a food processor. Pulse to a fine mixture. Using a strainer, sieve the liquid and set it aside. It should measure 180ml. Discard solids.
2. Preheat oven at 150°C for at least 15 minutes before baking. Prepare a 26cm diameter chiffon pan.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine yolks and sugar. Using a hand whisk or cake mixer, beat until sugar has dissolved.
4. Pour in oil slowly and beat into it is well incorporated. Next, add in coconut milk and mix until well blended.
5. Fold all the flour into the mixture gently until well combined. Set it aside.
6. To beat egg whites, beat together with cream of tartar until foamy. Add sugar gradually and beat continually until stiff peaks form.
7. Using a spatula, gently fold in egg white mixture into yolk batter in 3 batches, blending well in between additions.
8. Pour batter into an ungreased chiffon pan. Tap pan gently on tabletop to release air bubbles in the batter.
9. Bake for 80 minutes until crust turns brown. Gently touch the top of the cake; and when it bounces back, it is cooked. Do it quickly and then immediately invert the cake or it will collapse.
10. Remove cake from oven. Immediately invert it onto a cooling rack.
Unmould cake only when it is completely cool, approximately 1 hour. Transfer to a large serving plate.
Slice and serve.
BUYING TIP: Cake flour has lower protein as compared with plain flour and yields a lighter crumb with a fine texture.
TECHNIQUE: Keep an eye on the cake in the last 10 minutes of baking. When it rises tall, it will form a dome and turns golden brown. Gently touch top of cake; when it bounces back, it is cooked. Do it quickly and then immediately invert the cake or it will collapse under its weight as it is hot.
Photos: Candy Wong
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