Soft, smooth sponge with homemade Chiffon cake

How to make Chiffon Cake

• 1

  Preparation

  Preheat the oven to 145 degrees Celsius, using the two heating elements (fan on), 10 minutes beforehand.

  
• 2

  Whisking the eggs

  Crack 3 eggs, separating the yolks and whites. Then place the yolks in a bowl, add 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder, 6 tablespoons of flour, 3 tablespoons of cooking oil, and 3 tablespoons of milk. Then use an electric mixer to beat at low speed for 10 seconds (do not beat too long, as the mixture contains baking powder, beating too long will cause it to become tough).

  
• 3

  Mixing the batter

  Place the egg whites in another bowl, add 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar (to stabilize the egg whites when beating) into the bowl, set the mixer to low speed, gradually increase to medium speed, and beat until the egg whites form large bubbles that then become smaller. Slowly add in 3 tablespoons of sugar, increase the mixer speed to the highest setting, and beat until the egg whites are soft and smooth. The egg whites are ready when you lift the beater and it forms stiff peaks and can be inverted without spilling from the bowl. Avoid beating the egg whites too stiffly, as it will be difficult to mix with the yolk mixture.

  Note: If you do not have cream of tartar, substitute it with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 4-5 drops of lemon juice.

  
• 4

  Baking the cake

  Scoop 1/3 of the egg whites, use a whisk to mix the batter evenly, then pour the batter back into the egg whites, mixing quickly, decisively but gently, in a folding motion from outside to inside. Line the bottom of the mold with parchment paper and then pour the batter into the mold, remember to tap gently to reduce air bubbles.

  Place the mold in the lowest rack of the oven, set the timer for 55 minutes. After that time, take the cake out of the mold. Check the cake by gently pressing your finger on the surface; if the indentation springs back immediately, the cake is done.

  When the cake is done, take it out and invert the mold onto a rack, wait until the cake cools completely before using a knife to remove the cake from the mold.

  
• 5

  Final product

  Chiffon is truly a difficult cake to make, not because of the ingredients or whipping the eggs or mixing the batter, but due to the baking method. Each oven has different capacities leading to different temperatures. If baked at insufficient heat and time, the cake may collapse, sink, or have a narrow waist; baking at high temperatures can cause the surface of the cake to crack, and baking for too long at low temperatures can prevent the cake from rising or make it dry. Therefore, each baking session requires precise oven monitoring, recording the temperature and time, and learning from experience to produce a perfect batch of cake.