Description
Sweet whispers of “chocolate chiffon cake” float through kitchens, promising delicate elegance and airy perfection. Light as clouds yet rich with cocoa’s deep embrace, this dessert invites you to savor pure culinary bliss.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Base:
- 4 eggs
- 120 g / 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 100 g / 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 30 g / 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
Liquid Ingredients:
- 60 ml / 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 60 ml / 1/4 cup milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Finishing Ingredients:
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
- Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and prepare an ungreased 9-inch chiffon cake pan.
- Separate egg whites and yolks into two distinct mixing bowls, ensuring no yolk contaminates the whites.
- Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl to eliminate any potential lumps.
- Whisk egg yolks with half the granulated sugar until the mixture becomes pale and creamy.
- Incorporate vegetable oil, milk, and vanilla extract into the egg yolk mixture, blending until smooth and well combined.
- Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, creating a uniform chocolate batter.
- Add cream of tartar to egg whites and beat with an electric mixer, gradually adding remaining sugar until stiff, glossy peaks form.
- Carefully fold the egg white meringue into the chocolate batter in three incremental stages, maintaining the mixture’s delicate airiness.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, ensuring an even distribution without disturbing the light texture.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the top springs back when lightly touched.
- Immediately invert the cake pan onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely, approximately 1 hour.
- Once cooled, gently run a knife around the edges and remove the cake from the pan.
- Optionally dust with powdered sugar before serving for an elegant finishing touch.
Notes
- Egg Separation Matters: Use room temperature eggs for easier separation and better volume when whipping whites, which ensures a lighter, fluffier chiffon cake texture.
- No Greasing Needed: Always use an ungreased chiffon pan to help the cake climb and rise properly, creating that signature tall and airy structure.
- Folding Technique: When incorporating meringue, use a gentle, bottom-to-top folding motion with a spatula to preserve air bubbles and maintain the cake’s delicate structure.
- Gluten-Free Adaptation: Replace wheat flour with a gluten-free flour blend containing xanthan gum to maintain the cake’s structure and prevent crumbling.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 35-40 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 200
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg