Orange Chiffon Cake

5 from 3 votes

Orange Chiffon Cake is one of the easiest cakes to make. It is light and airy, deeply flavored and basically takes two steps to make. I'm going to show you an easier way to whisk the egg whites and sugar that is hassle free and doesn't require the slow addition of sugar to the egg whites.

Prep Time30

Cook Time50

Total Time1 20

Course: Cake

Cuisine: American

Keyword: easy to make, Orange Chiffon Cake, Chiffon Cake,

Servings: servings

Calories: 325kcal

Author: Helen S Fletcher

Equipment

Angel Food Cake pan
Stand Mixer

Ingredients

Orange Chiffon Cake

2 ¼ cups sifted cake flour (225 grams)
1 ½ cups baker's or superfine sugar (300 grams)
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon table salt
½ cup vegetable oil
7 large eggs, separated
3 additional egg whites
¾ cup orange juice
Zest from 2 oranges
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

Orange Glaze

2 cups powdered sugar (260 grams)
1 tablespoon orange zest
4-5 tablespoons orange juice
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Instructions

Orange Chiffon Cake

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Have the 10" angel food cake at hand.
In a large mixing bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the flour, 1 cup of sugar (200 grams), baking powder and salt. Mix to combine. .
Add the oil, egg yolks, juice, vanilla and zest. Mix for about 1 or 2 minutes until well combined. Set aside.
In a clean mixing bowl fitted with the whisk attachment, add the egg whites, remaining ½ cup of sugar (100 grams) and the cream of tartar. Beat on low to mix, raise the speed to medium and beat until very foamy, then raise to high and beat until medium peaks. The peaks should not bend over as in soft peaks, nor should the be as stiff as for a meringue,
Pour the whites over the flour mixture and fold together. To fold in, plunge a plastic spatula into the center of the egg whites all the way to the bottom. Scoop up some of the flour mixture and bring it up to the top, turning the spatula over to deposit it. Turn the bowl about an eighth of a turn and continue in this manner until the two are mixed.
Pour the batter into the unprepared angel food pan and level it. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until medium brown, it springs back when lightly touched or a tester comes out clean.
Immediately, turn it upside down to cool if the pan has feet or hang it on a soda or beer bottle to cool.
When completely cool, go around the sides of the pan with a small, flexible metal spatula, keeping the spatula to the edge of the pan, not the cake. Release the center tube in the same manner. Remove the side.
To remove the bottom, place a spatula between the metal bottom and the cake. Go around the whole bottom keep the spatula to the metal base.
Place a cake round or serving plate over the top and turn the chiffon cake out. it's normally served upside down.

Orange Glaze

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix with a spoon. Do not use a whisk as it can make air bubbles. If it is too thick, add a bit more juice or water, if too thin, add a little powdered sugar to get to the right consistency.
Pour over the cake allowing the excess to run down the side of the cake.
To store, place under a cake dome where it will last for several days. For longer storage, freeze the cake, without the glaze, until hard. Wrap well. It will keep for several months. Thaw, uncovered at room temperature. Glaze after it is thawed.

Notes

There is always an abundance of photos to guide you in the post above.

As always, I recommend using a scale for accuracy and consistency. Flour, in particular, is difficult to measure by volume. For my recipes, I use 140 grams per cup of unsifted all-purpose, bread or whole wheat flour and 125 grams of cake flour. Others may use different weights so use whatever they suggest.

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Navel Oranges are the best for zesting as their skins are thicker and their juice is often sweeter. Three medium size oranges will yield the zest and juice needed for both the cake and the glaze. If you're slightly short of juice, add water.

This cake, simply finished with powdered sugar is lower in fat that those with frosting and filing.

Using superfine or baker's sugar with the egg whites allows the sugar to dissolve faster than with regular granulated sugar.

Do not beat the whites and sugar to stiff peaks. They don't fold well into the flour mixture.

Folding the two mixtures together should be done with as few strokes as possible to keep the air in the mixture.

The three extra egg yolks can be thrown into scrambled eggs or used for Lemon Curd.

Cool the cake completely before releasing.

Nutrition