Japanese Chiffon Cake

Yield

Two 7” cakes, with Wilton molds (4.5” high).

Ingredients

• 500 g eggs (~8 extra-large eggs), separated
• 200 g sugar, divided
• 200 g cake flour, sifted
• 80 g oil
• 180 mL milk

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 335 ºF (170 ºC). Do not line pans with parchment or spray with non-stick spray.
2. Whisk together the egg yolks and 60 g sugar. Add the oil and whisk well until emulsified. Add the milk and whisk well. Add the flour and whisk well.
3. Whip the egg whites with 70 g sugar. Once the mixture becomes frothy, add the remaining sugar (70 g) and whip until medium peaks.
4. Add one third of the meringue to the batter and mix well using a whisk. Add the rest of the meringue and quickly fold in using a whisk and a spatula.
5. Divide the batter between the two pans. Tap the pans gently on the table, then stir with a skewer to remove large air bubbles.
6. Bake in pre-heated oven for 35 minutes. Invert the cakes immediately after removing from the oven. Cool completely before unmolding.

Variations

• Chocolate: Replace 40 g cake flour with cocoa powder.
• Black sesame: Replace 50 g oil with black sesame paste.
• Matcha: Replace 30 g cake flour with matcha powder.
• Citrus: Add 6 g (2 tsp) citrus zest to the oil.
• Tea: Steep desired type of tea leaves in warmed milk. Let sit for at least 1 hour, and strain.

Source

San Francisco Baking Institute, 2-Day Japanese Home Baking Course