Orange Chiffon

My cousin has been asking me for advise on chiffon cakes, as all her attempts have never yielded the desired results.

Based on my limited knowledge (gathered through various cookbooks and internet sites), I advised her as follows:

• Separate egg whites from the yolks with extra care.  There must not be a single hint of egg yolk (not even the tiniest bit)
• Use a dry and clean bowl to whip the egg whites - bowl must be squeaky clean and without a trace of grease.  Make sure that the whisk is also grease free
• Whip egg whites until stiff.  Do not overwhisk
• Fold egg whites gently into the egg yolk mixture, and not the other way round
• Use an appropriate sized tube pan to allow the cake to cook evenly, and the centre to cook thoroughly without overcooking the outside
• Do not grease the tube pan (and if possible, do not use the non-stick version).  The batter needs to cling to the pan so that it can defy gravity and rise to great heights
• Invert cake immediately after it comes out from the oven to prevent it from collapsing.  Unmold from pan only when it is completely cool.

I am no expert (believe me, I have my fair share of chiffon failures), but ever since I applied the above tips, I have obtained satisfying results with my chiffon. 


You will need:
5 eggs - separate yolk from white 
150g castor sugar 
125g cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Grated rind of one orange  

2 tbsp (30 ml) corn oil

2/3 cup (160 ml) freshly squeezed orange juice

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 190 deg Celsius.  Sift cake flour, baking powder and salt.


Whisk egg yolks and half portion of the sugar until light and creamy.  Add grated orange rind and juice and stir well.  Sift in flour mixture and fold gently.  Stir in corn oil. 

Whisk egg whites until foamy, then add in cream of tartar.  Continue whisking until soft peak and gradually add in the remaining portion of the sugar.  Continue whisking until just stiff and mixture holds its shape.  


Add one-third of the egg white mixture to the egg yolk mixture and fold gently. 


Pour the rest of the egg white mixture to the egg yolk mixture.  Fold in carefully and gently.  Be careful not to deflate the egg whites.  

Pour mixture into a 20cm ungreased tube pan. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes or until the cake is well browned on the surface. Remove from oven and invert cake immediately. Leave aside to cool completely before removing from the pan.