Coconut Chiffon Cake

View Instructions

Makes:

one 10-inch (25 cm) cake

Serves:

12-16

Prep Time:

20 minutes

Cook Time:

50 minutes

Introduction

About this Recipe

print this recipe

Category:

Baked Goods | Cake | Desserts

Recipe from Anna Olson’s Baking Wisdom
© 2023 Olson Food Concepts Inc. Photography by Janis Nicolay. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. All rights reserved.

This fluffy cake seems to defy gravity. Whereas an airy angel food cake uses only whipped egg whites and has no added fat, a chiffon cake makes use of whole eggs, separated, and has added oil. The result is a moist, satisfying cake with a deeper flavour. This coconut version pairs perfectly with fresh tropical fruits like pineapple or mango.

NOTES: An ungreased, straight-sided pan is essential for this chiffon cake recipe, which needs lots of space to rise. An angel food cake pan works well. Its straight sides make it easier to remove the cake from the pan after cooling and the centre hole allows the heat to circulate through the batter evenly. A Bundt pan, while pretty, would make removing the cake difficult.

The cake will keep, well wrapped, on the counter for up to 3 days.

Ingredients

10 large eggs, separated
1¼ cups (250 g) granulated sugar, divided
1½ cups (195 g) cake & pastry flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp fine salt

¾ cup (175 mL) coconut milk
½ cup (125 mL) vegetable oil
2 Tbsp (30 mL) lime juice
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp coconut extract (optional)

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C) and have ready a 10-inch (25 cm) ungreased angel food cake pan.

Step 2

Whip the egg whites using electric beaters or a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment on high speed until they are foamy. Slowly pour in ½ cup (100 g) sugar while whipping, until a medium peak is reached. Set aside.

Step 3

Mix the dry ingredients and liquids. In a separate bowl (or you can use the same bowl of the stand mixer), sift the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the reserved egg yolks, remaining ¾ cup (150 g) sugar, coconut milk, oil, lime juice, vanilla extract and coconut extract, if using. Whip at medium-high speed until the batter is well blended and smooth.

Step 4

Fold a third of the whites into the batter, folding until only a few streaks are visible. Add the remaining two-thirds and fold quickly but gently until combined. Pour the batter into the angel food cake pan and spread to level, if necessary.

Step 5

Bake the cake for about 50 minutes, until the cake springs back when gently pressed. Invert the cake on a rack to cool, unless the cake has risen to the top of the pan or above it. In that case, set three or four ramekins on the rack and place the edges of the inverted cake pan on the ramekins so the top of your cake doesn’t rest directly on the cooling rack.

Cooling a chiffon cake upside down is critical so that gravity can pull down the hot, fragile sponge mixture and keep the delicate air bubbles in the cake stretched until they are cool and stable. If cooled upright, the cake collapses somewhat and the texture becomes slightly dense rather than light and airy.

Step 6

Remove the cake from the pan. Run a palette knife along the inside edge of the outer ring of the cake (the centre ring will loosen itself, or you can help it along by dropping a bamboo skewer down the sides of the inner ring, but do not try to loosen with a palette knife). Give the bottom of the pan a not-so-gentle tap to pop the cake out onto the counter. Transfer to a serving plate.