2. Instructions — 6-inch Cake
Step 1: Prepare the ingredients
Prepare fresh eggs, caster sugar, milk, cake flour and corn oil.
Lemon juice and vanilla extract are optional.
The author weighed three eggs at approximately 175 g in total, including their shells.
Step 2: Separate the eggs
Separate the egg yolks and whites into two bowls.
Important: The egg whites must not contain any egg yolk.
Place the egg whites in a clean, dry, grease-free mixing bowl and refrigerate them while preparing the yolk mixture.
The author recommends separating each egg into a small bowl first. This prevents one bad egg or a broken yolk from contaminating the others.
Step 3: Mix the milk, sugar and oil
In a clean bowl, combine the milk, 13 g of sugar and 30 g of corn oil.
Whisk until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture becomes emulsified, meaning the milk and oil are well combined.
If using vanilla extract, add it at this stage.
Step 4: Add the flour
Sift the cake flour into the milk mixture.
Use a spatula or whisk to mix in a Z-shaped motion until no lumps remain.
Do not stir in circles, as this can develop the gluten and make the cake less tender.
Step 5: Add the egg yolks
Add the egg yolks one at a time, mixing each addition until incorporated.
Use a whisk and move it in straight strokes rather than circular motions.
The finished yolk batter should be smooth and silky.
Step 6: Strain the yolk batter (optional)
Pass the yolk batter through a fine-mesh sieve using a spatula.
This produces an especially smooth batter.
Scrape any batter clinging to the underside of the sieve back into the bowl.
If your batter is already completely smooth, you can skip this step.
Step 7: Start whipping the egg whites
Take the chilled egg whites out of the refrigerator.
Add a few drops of lemon juice or white vinegar, if using.
Using an electric mixer on medium speed (the author's speed setting 4), beat until large bubbles form, resembling fish-eye bubbles.
Add one-third of the 35 g sugar.
Step 8: Continue whipping
Increase the mixer to high speed (the author's speed setting 7).
Beat until the egg whites become very fluffy and the bubbles become fine.
Add another one-third of the sugar and continue beating for approximately one minute.
Step 9: Beat to stiff peaks
When the egg whites begin to show visible trails from the beaters and the trails do not immediately disappear, add the remaining sugar.
Reduce the mixer to medium-high speed (setting 5 or 6).
Continue beating until stiff peaks form.
When you lift the beaters, the egg whites should form upright peaks that do not bend easily.
The egg whites should be glossy and smooth.
If they become rough and grainy, they may have been overbeaten.
Step 10: Fold in one-third of the egg whites
Take approximately one-third of the whipped egg whites and add them to the yolk batter.
Gently fold until combined.
Do not stir vigorously, as this will knock out the air.
Step 11: Combine the mixtures
Pour the combined mixture back into the bowl containing the remaining egg whites.
Use a spatula to fold gently.
A good folding technique is:
Cut down through the middle of the mixture with the spatula.
Scoop up batter from the bottom.
Fold it over the top.
Rotate the bowl slightly.
Repeat until no white streaks remain.
The finished batter should be smooth, airy and evenly coloured.
Avoid overmixing.
Step 12: Prepare the tin
Preheat the oven to 150°C.
Pour the batter into an unlined, ungreased 6-inch chiffon cake tin.
The author recommends pouring the batter from approximately 15 cm above the tin.
Rotate the tin to distribute the batter evenly, or use a spatula to smooth the surface.
Gently tap the tin to release large air bubbles.
Do not line the tin with baking paper or grease it. The cake needs to cling to the sides of the tin as it rises.
Step 13: Bake the cake
Bake at 150°C using conventional top-and-bottom heat, on the lower-middle rack, for approximately 55 minutes.
The temperature refers to the oven's actual temperature, not necessarily the temperature displayed on its dial.
The cake will rise during baking.
When it begins to settle slightly, insert a toothpick into the centre. If it comes out without wet batter, the cake is ready.
For the 8-inch cake, the author recommends baking at 150°C for approximately 65 minutes.
Step 14: Don't worry about cracks
The cake may rise considerably and develop cracks on the surface.
This is normal.
Do not lower the oven temperature just because the cake cracks. According to the author, cracks are not a problem as long as the cake does not collapse or develop a sunken waist.
Step 15: Release the hot air and invert the cake
Once the cake is fully baked, remove it from the oven.
Drop the tin from a height of approximately 15 cm onto a heat-resistant surface to release hot air.
Immediately turn the tin upside down and leave it inverted.
Step 16: Cool completely
Leave the cake inverted for approximately two hours, or until completely cool.
Do not attempt to remove it while it is still warm.
Step 17: Release the cake from the sides
Once completely cool, gently press around the entire circumference of the cake with your fingers to separate it from the sides of the tin.
Work your way around the cake until the edges are released.
Step 18: Remove the base
If using a removable-bottom tin, place the base on top of a cup.
Hold the edges of the tin and press down to release the sides, or push the removable base upwards.
Step 19: Release the bottom
Gently press the bottom edge of the cake away from the base, working around the circumference until the cake releases completely.
The author demonstrates that even a cake with a heavily cracked top can look attractive once inverted and removed from the tin.
Your soft, fluffy chiffon cake is ready!
3. Baking Instructions for the 8-inch Cake
For the 8-inch version, use the ingredient quantities listed in Option B.
Follow the same method, with these adjustments:
Combine the cake flour and cornstarch before sifting them into the milk-and-oil mixture.
Add vanilla extract with the milk, sugar and oil if desired.
Bake at 150°C for approximately 65 minutes on the lower-middle rack.
The author recommends covering the cake with aluminium foil after approximately 40 minutes to prevent excessive browning.
4. The Author's Most Important Tips
1. Use fresh eggs. The author recommends ordinary chicken eggs with a good proportion of egg white.
2. Whipping the egg whites correctly is crucial. They must reach stiff peaks to support the cake's structure.
3. Know your oven's actual temperature. An oven thermometer can help you check whether the displayed temperature is accurate.
4. Use an ungreased aluminium chiffon cake tin. Do not use baking paper or a non-stick tin for this recipe, as the cake needs to grip the sides while rising.
5. Don't worry about surface cracks. Cracking during baking is normal. Avoid lowering the temperature simply to prevent cracks.
6. Fold gently. Preserve the air in the egg whites to achieve a light, fluffy texture.
7. Invert immediately after baking. This helps prevent the cake from collapsing as it cools.
8. Cool completely before removing the tin. The author recommends approximately two hours.
My recommendation: If you're making this for the first time, use the 6-inch version. Its ingredient quantities are smaller, and the original author gives a clear baking temperature of 150°C for about 55 minutes. Make sure your tin is an ungreased chiffon cake tin, and use an oven thermometer if possible. �
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