Orange Chiffon Cake

It gives immense pleasure and a sense of satisfaction seeing the increasing activity on the FB page of Soniaz Delights and knowing that you have been missing new recipes. In the last month while I was away, I have also been missing baking as if a part of me is missing. Here I am, back to baking new delights...

Its fall winter, and everyone is getting into the December festive season. Its also the best time of the year to make fruit based Delights as the best of fresh fruits are available this time of the year. Hence, I have decided to try and include some fresh fruits in all of my baking this season. 

The first fruit that I am using for baking this season would be 'Orange'. The reason I picked this fruit is I have got a personal connection with the fruit. A variety of this fruit (Kinnow) is grown in our own farms in Punjab and I visited the farms and plucked the fruits by myself! I looked for many cake recipes with Orange as the main ingredient and finally decided to make an 'Orange Chiffon Cake'.

Chiffon cakes are as soft and light as a Chiffon saari (love wearing them). The cake just melts in your mouth leaving the fresh citrusy flavour lingering in your mouth for a long time. One piece is of this cake is simply not enough. The best thing about this cake is you will not get the butter taste in this cake as the recipe include flavourless oil leaving you with one flavour to enjoy...Tangy Orange. 

Without waiting further, lets get straight to the cake and how you can try it yourself.

Orange Chiffon Cake

Here's what you gonna need to make Orange Chiffon Cake

6 eggs separated + 1 egg white at room temperature (separate the eggs while they are cold and let it sit till it reaches room temperature)

180 gms/ 1½ cup + 3 tbsp (sifted) all purpose flour

45 gms/ 5 tbsp corn flour

250 gms + 50 gms/  1¼ cup + ¼ cup caster sugar or powdered sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

2 tbsp orange zest

120 ml/ ½ cup vegetable oil/ sunflower or canola oil

180 ml/ ¾ cup fresh orange juice (you may use tetra pack but freshly squeezed works better)

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

½ tsp cream of tartar/ lemon juice

Here's how you gonna make it

Preheat your oven to 170° C/ 325° F. Line a 10 inch bundt pan or 2 small pans.

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• In a large bowl add all the dry ingredients together i.e. all purpose flour, corn flour, sugar (250 gms), baking soda, orange zest and salt. Give these ingredients a nice stir with the help of a balloon whisk.

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• Make a well in the center of the mixed dry ingredients and add egg yolks, orange juice, oil, vanilla extract and beat with the help of your hand mixer for about a couple of minutes until nicely combined.

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• In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy. 
• Add lemon juice and beat until the soft peaks.
• Gradually add the remaining 50 gms caster sugar and beat for 2 - 3 minutes until stiff peaks form. (see picture 3 above)
• Add the egg whites mixture in the batter kept aside in 3 - 4 installments and fold it gently.

• Pour the batter in the pre lined baking pan. Preferable use bundt pan with the hole in the center. Bake for about 50 - 60 minutes
• Once the cake is baked, invert the pan at certain height and let the cake cool completely in the pan for about 2 hours. 
• Once cooled, put a knife/ spatula in the inside of the pan and slowly remove the cake from the pan.
• Dust the top of the cake with some icing sugar and sugar.
• Store the cake in an air tight container and store at room temperature for a few days or refrigerate it for a week.

Hope you will also enjoy making it as much as I did!

Cheers!