Chiffon Cakes

I love chiffon cakes for their super soft, fluffy, moist texture and light taste. Of late, I have baking them quite often for family gatherings, especially orange chiffon cake.

It took my a long time before I bought my first tube pan for my first attempt, mainly because I don't like baking cakes which requires whisking separated egg yolks and egg whites. Further more, chiffon cakes requires quite a big amount of eggs, which gives it it's eggy fragrance. I do not own a high end mixer and what I have takes me a long time to whisk up the yolks and whites separately. But after that first attempt, I never grew tired of making it, simply because it taste so good and it is often well received.

Orange Chiffon Cake, an all time favourite with my family and friends

Black Sesame Chiffon Cake, an attempt on a new flavour

The grounded black sesame gives this chiffon cake it's unique colour

It is only after my attempt that I then realised why established bakeries charge so much for their chiffon cakes. Chiffon cakes takes quite a fair bit of time, from preparation of ingredients, to whisking, mixing, baking and cooling. The key factors to successful chiffon cakes:
- fresh quality ingredients, to gives it's good taste as well as healthier choice (I squeezed and zest my own oranges, used canola oil instead of palm oil)
- properly whisked eggs, so that proper aeration can be achieved to give the cake its rise
- avoid over mixing, so that air bubbles is not deflated
- correct baking temperature, to help the cake achieve it's rise
- correct baking time, too long a time the cake will dry out while too short a time, the cake will not be fully bake through

I guess my next attempt would be either a banana or pandan, the latter if I can get around to juicing my own pandan juice as I do not own a blender for that at this moment.