Orange and Chocolate Chiffon Cake

I can provide you with a recipe for an Orange and Chocolate Chiffon Cake! This cake is soft and light, with the orange giving a refreshing note while the chocolate adds a touch of richness and scrumptiousness.

Ingredients

• 225 g of cake flour
• 300 g of granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 5 large eggs (separate yolks and whites)
• 120 ml of vegetable oil
• 120 ml of fresh orange juice
• 1 tablespoon of grated orange zest
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar (to whip the egg whites)
• 100 g of chopped dark chocolate

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 170 °C and prepare a Chiffon Cake pan (do not grease the pan).
2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, 200 g of sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In another bowl, beat the egg yolks, then add the oil, orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
4. Add the yolk mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until smooth.
5. In a clean, dry bowl, whip the egg whites with cream of tartar to soft peaks, then gradually add the remaining 100 g of sugar while continuing to whip to firm but not dry peaks.
6. Gently fold one third of the whipped whites into the yolk mixture to lighten it, then carefully fold in the remaining whites being careful not to deflate them.
7. Gently fold the chopped chocolate into the final mixture.
8. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for about 55-65 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
9. Remove from the oven and invert the pan onto a rack (without removing it) and allow to cool completely before unmolding the cake.

Trivia

The Chiffon Cake is renowned for its incredibly soft and light texture, which comes from the technique of incorporating whipped egg whites into the batter. This cake was invented in the United States in the 1920s by California pastry chef Harry Baker, who kept the recipe a secret for over two decades before selling it to General Mills, which made it public in 1948.

It’s important to note that the success of this cake depends a lot on the proper whipping of the egg whites and their gentle folding to maintain aeration. Enjoy your baking!