Thursday, July 10, 2014

Vanilla-Flecked Chiffon Cake : Bake-Along #64

Theme for this week's Bake-Along #64, is Chiffon Cake, selected by my baking buddy Zoe of Bake For Happy Kids, for our bake together with Lena of Frozen Wings, and anyone who wishes to bake-along with us. 

My favourite chiffon cake recipe is from Tish Boyle's "The Cake Book", Orange Chiffon Cake which I've first baked almost two years ago, and have baked it a few more times since then. So for our Chiffon theme Bake-Along, I naturally thought of this Vanilla-Flecked Chiffon Cake from the same book, which I have been wanting to make for ages. I'm glad I finally made this. It is just as good as the Orange Chiffon Cake.


I made the full recipe, and baked in three pans, two of 7" and one of 6", using chiffon cake pans with feet. The recipe uses a plump Tahitian vanilla pod, but since mine is not Tahitian vanilla pods, I have used two vanilla pods which my sister bought from Bali. As usual, I have reduced the amount of sugar, from the original 350gm to 180gm and it's sweetness is just right. 


The cake is soft, fluffy, moist and is flecked with the vanilla seeds all over. I can actually taste the light crunch  of the vanilla seeds.


Makes a nice treat for breakfast and tea-time snack!


Vanilla-Flecked Chiffon Cake
(adapted from "The Cake Book", Tish Boyle)
Makes one 10-inch cake, serving 12 to 14
2-1/2 cups (8.8oz/250gm) sifted cake flour
1-3/4 cups (12.3oz/350gm) granulates sugar, divided (180gm)
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 plump Tahitian vanilla bean, split lengthwise in half
6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
2/3 cup (160ml) water
1/2 cup (120ml) safflower or other neutral vegetable oil
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
3 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
confectioners' sugar for dusting

  1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325F.
  2. Sift together the cake flour, 1-1/4 cups of the sugar, the baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk until well blended, and set aside.
  3. Using a spoon, scrape the small seeds out of the vanilla bean into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (discard bean). Add the egg yolks, water, vegetable oil, and lemon zest and beat at medium speed until blended, about 1 minute. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture one-quarter at a time, mixing just until blended.
  4. In a clean mixing bowl, using the whisk attachment, beat the 9 egg whites and the cream of tartar at medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Increase the speed to high and beat until the whites are stiff but not dry. Using a large rubber spatula, briskly fold about one-quarter of the whites into the cake batter. Gently fold in the remaining whites. Scrape the batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan with a removable bottom and smooth the top.
  5. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Invert the pan and place the center tube on a bottle. (If the pan has "feet", it can be inverted directly onto a work surface). Let stand upside down until completely cooled, about 1-1/2 hours.
  6. To unmold the cake, slide a thin-bladed knife around the side of the cake, making sure to press the knife against the side of the pan to avoid marring the surface of the cake. Repeat with the center tube. Lift the tube up top remove the cake from the pan, and slide the knife under the cake to detach it from the pan bottom. Invert the cake onto a serving plate. Dust the top lightly with confectioners' sugar.
  7. Slice the cake using an angel food cake divider or a serrated knife (use a sawing motion) to avoid compressing its airy texture.
Store at room temperature, under a cake keeper or covered with foil, for up to 5 days. Or freeze, well wrapped, for up to 2 weeks.

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A NOTE FOR LINKING :
Please be advised that this theme is only for CHIFFON CAKES. We are not accepting submissions for Angel Cakes and Sponge Cakes, as these three cakes are different, even though they may look the same. Thank you for your co-operation!


To view the Chiffon Cakes that everyone has made, please visit Lena from Frozen Wings and Zoe from Bake For Happy Kids, and all our friends who has baked along with us in the linky below :

For our next Bake-Along, our bake is Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake, from Cake Keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattman, pg 108 or you may get the recipe here. Bake the selected recipe and join us! The linky will start on 24th July until 2nd August. Everyone is welcome! 


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A friendly reminder when linking to our blog hop :
1. Please mention Bake-Along event in your own post linking direct to any of the hosts' post (JoyceLena or Zoe)
2. Please link only new and current post, PLEASE FOLLOW THE BAKE OR THEME provided by us. Unrelated post will be deleted.
3. Feel free to display our Bake-Along badge in your post.


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22 comments:

  1. Hi Joyce,

    I'm always a fan of everything with vanilla beans :D I reckon that I can eat the whole of your 7" very vanilla chiffon cake. It looks so light and soft :D

    Thanks for adding in the reminder of not accepting posts that are angel and sponge cakes. Yeah... they are not chiffon cakes at all :D

    Zoe

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  2. Joyce how beautiful chiffon cake!

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  3. Oh look that those black speck beauties. Love it.

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  4. Love this beautiful vanilla chiffon cake you have here Joyce.. I am still thinking what chiffon I would liked to bake... wished to have a slice of the soft springy chiffon ^^

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  5. tall and fluffy and must be very fragrant too' .:..how delighted if we can have a chiffon party and get to taste each of the flavours....

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  6. Beautiful! So tall & lovely chiffon cake ! How i wish my chiffon could rise so high & tall !

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  7. I am so jealous of all the tall and beautiful chiffon cakes!! I must practise and practise .... I just failed one last week end! :(

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  8. Wow, such a beautiful chiffon cake, so delicate.
    Thanks for the recipe Joyce...hope you are having a great week :D

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  9. Joyce, I can imagine how fragrant your chiffon cake is! I wish I could find vanilla beans but knowing how kiamsiap I am, I probably won't buy hah...hah...

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  10. Hi Joyce, I love your crustless look chiffon cake, I tried doing that but some times I am too rough and broke the cake lol! Interesting to note that sugar is added to the flour and not with the wet ingredients to beat first.

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  11. Gorgeous JOyce, simply delectable! I love the flecks of vanilla speckling through. After seeing all these tempting Chiffon cakes, I really want to bake one myself! Thank you so much for sharing, Joyce...

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  12. I haven't had breakfast yet, and that slice of cake looks tempting! I love the little vanilla bean flecks in there. :)

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  13. This is such a lovely looks cake with the specks of vanilla in them

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  14. That's one gorgeous cake! I'd forgotten all about chiffon cakes and now I'm drooling and will have to make one. Thanks for the recipe!

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  15. I can smell it from here! hope I am able to join the event this time, need to work hard on coming weekend heehehee

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  16. Joyce, your chiffon looks so soft and fluffy like the lovely white clouds in the sky :) I can see the vanilla flecks in them too! Anything vanilla is definitely great for me and in this chiffon, it makes it even better. Thanks for the note on the angel cakes and sponge cakes ;)

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  17. Joyce, your vanilla flecked Chiffon Cake is...'out of the world' divine, and light as 'feather'...gorgeous, and super delicious! I am totally drooling over this amazing cake, and would love to make it real soon! xo

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  18. All of you can bake chiffon cake so well. This looks absolutely gorgeous, so soft!

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  19. Looks so soft and light! Good work, Joyce.

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  20. Hi Joyce, your chiffon looks like a tall,fair,pretty and elegant lady;D

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  21. Hi Joyce, this looks lovely! Must taste and smell really good!

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  22. I just posted my chiffon at 12am but unable to link up, too bad lor! hehe...

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