Coffee Chiffon Cake

 

 

Chiffon cake is my favorite cake to make for birthdays, and really all the time. With most of its structure coming from egg whites, while still having the oil to give it stability and additional moisture, it's the perfect cake: being "healthy" (no cups of butter required!), and delicious. This is the coffee edition of the cake - perfect for celebrating the birthdays of any coffee lovers. 

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Tips: 

- For decorating: Instead of a sugar syrup, soak the layers in coffee (diluted with milk and sugar) for added coffee flavor.

- This is slightly untraditional, but don't skip beating the egg yolks - this adds crucial fluffiness. 

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Coffee Chiffon Cake

Makes three 8-inch cakes

Ingredients: 

5 egg yolks

20g sugar

70g oil

70g coffee (should be relatively strong)

100g cake flour

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

7 large egg whites (210g) - note: can also use 6 extra-large

80g sugar

1/2 tsp vinegar

Instructions: 

1. Grease and line three 8” cake pans. Preheat the oven to 325F. 

2. Separate the eggs, placing 5 egg yolks in a medium bowl, and 7 egg whites in a large bowl.

 

3. Add 20g sugar to the egg yolks, and beat well, until mixture slightly lightens in color. Pour in 70g oil, and whisk until mixture becomes fluffy, almost like mayonnaise. Add in 70g coffee and 1 tsp vanilla, then mix until incorporated. 

4. In a small bowl, mix together 100g cake flour, 1 tsp baking powder, and 1/8 tsp salt. 

5. Add ½ tsp vinegar to the egg whites and beat on medium speed until white and foamy. Then, add sugar in three batches while continuing to beat. Beat the egg whites to medium peaks – you should be able to turn the bowl upside down, but the egg whites should still be soft, and not clumpy. 

6. Sift the dry ingredients/flour mixture into the egg yolk mixture, and fold gently. 

7. Add 1/3 of the egg white mixture into the egg yolks, and whisk until combined. Then, pour the entire egg yolk mixture into the remaining egg whites, and fold gently. 

8. Divide the batter into the cake pans, and bake for 15 minutes at 325, and for an additional 10 minutes at 300F. 

9. Remove cakes from the oven, and allow to cool upside down to 10-20 minutes, before removing from pan.