Orange chiffon cake with chocolate frosting and candied oranges

Our recipe collection wouldn't be complete without the cake that Virginia, author of , is making for us today Sweet&Sour: the chiffon cake is a sponge cake that, like the best trends, is making a strong comeback! It is prepared in the Angel Food Cake pan, so take note because you already have another "must-make recipe" for your list!

You might be wondering... What is a Chiffon Cake? If it looks just like a Angel Cake.... How are they alike? How is it different? A Chiffon Cake is a tall, spectacular round cake that, like the Angel Cake has a central hole, and, like this one, it is baked in the same mold, without greasing. It was created in 1920 by a Californian, Henry Baker, who ended up selling the recipe to General Mills in 1940, and it became very popular in the 1950s. Since then, interest waned, until today, when it has come back into fashion.

Despite their outward appearance, they have nothing to do with Angel Cake, except that they are baked in the same ungreased pan. Both use flour and sugar in their preparation, but… The Chiffon Cake recipe is prepared with whole eggs and fat is added in the form of vegetable oil, which gives it that juicy, light texture and helps it keep well for a long time. In addition, a leavening agent is used to make Chiffon Cake. Angel Cake is made without any leavening or fat, and only egg whites are used in its preparation.

Chiffon cake is a very fluffy, light, and soft cake, but with more body than angel food cake, although surprisingly more delicate in handling once baked.
Specifically, this recipe I’m bringing you today reminds me of the little pastries from my childhood... Do you remember the “Bonis”, “bucaneros”....? Well, it’s a bit of that texture and flavor.

Chiffon cake is not usually coated, except with a little powdered sugar, but in this case, with those flavors still on my palate, I decided to cover it with a divine chocolate glaze and some candied oranges, which give it a festive touch. A resounding success.

Let's get to the recipe:

INGREDIENTS (for a angel food cake pan of 25 cm)

For the Chiffon Cake:

• 6 large eggs + 1 extra egg white, at room temperature
• 225gr of Cake Flour
• 300gr of superfine sugar or Caster Sugar*
• 1 Tbsp (tablespoon) of Baking Powder
• 1/2 Tsp (teaspoon) of table salt
• 2 Tbsp (tablespoons) of orange zest
• 120ml of Sunflower Oil
• 180ml of Orange Juice
• 1 Tsp (teaspoon) of vanilla extract
• 1/2 Tsp (teaspoon) of cream of tartar**

For the Chocolate Glaze:

• 200gr of 70% chocolate.
• 200gr of Double Cream or 35% fat cream
• 3 tablespoons of liquid glucose or Golden Syrup***

For the Candied Oranges:

• 1 Orange
• 200gr of sugar
• 100gr of water

* Superfine Sugar or Caster Sugar is simply ground sugar that hasn't reached the point of icing sugar. If you can't find it, you can make it at home with any food processor or a coffee grinder.
**Cream of tartar can be found in baking supply stores or, as a last resort, at pharmacies.
***Liquid glucose or golden syrup can be found in baking supply stores.

PREPARATION:

We begin with the candied oranges:

We wash the orange well and cut it into slices with a well-sharpened knife.
To remove the bitterness, we boil them in water, which we'll discard once it comes to a boil. We'll rinse them under running tap water, taking great care not to damage their shape.
Bring the water and sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan, and once the sugar has dissolved, add the orange slices. Cook over low heat until they are done. It can take about 1 1/2 hours. Let them rest in the syrup for at least 2 hours. Ready.

De Buyer copper saucepan

You can store them with this syrup in a glass jar, or if we want them to dry, we take the slices out onto a rack and let the sugar harden. We store them between baking parchment, in a tin, in a cool place. Or we even freeze them wrapped in plastic wrap.

Now let's move on to the Chiffon Cake:

We separate the whites and yolks when the eggs are cold. It’s easier, and we leave them covered at room temperature for about 1 hour.
When our yolks and whites are at room temperature, preheat the oven to 170ºC, with top and bottom heat
En a medium bowl, in my case in the Kitchen Aid metal bowl and, fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the flour, 250 gr. of sugar, the leavening agent, the salt, and the orange zest.
Make a well in the center and pour in the egg yolks, oil, orange juice, and vanilla extract. Mix with the paddle on low speed for 1 minute, until you have a smooth, orange cream. If doing it by hand, mix with a silicone spatula.
In the glass bowl of the Kitchen Aid fitted with the whisk attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, whip the egg whites. First, foam them lightly, add the cream of tartar, and beat at medium-high speed until soft peaks begin to form. Now, with the motor running, add the remaining 50 gr. of sugar little by little and beat at high speed until stiff peaks form.

Kitchen Aid stand mixer with glass bowl, and Le Creuset silicone spatula

For preparations like this, I like to have an extra bowl for my Kitchen Aid because it saves me from having to take the mixture out of the other one and clean it halfway through. I have the glass bowl which, besides being useful, is really beautiful.

Once both preparations are ready, pour the whipped egg whites into the flour-and-yolk mixture in three additions. Fold gently, using a silicone spatula, trying not to deflate the whites.

We pour the mixture over our Angel Cake mold "ungreased" and bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out dry.

Nordic Ware Angel Food Cake Pan

Remove from the oven and place the cake upside down on the little feet of the angel food cake pan so it cools without losing volume during this process. Let it cool completely in this position. Once cool, run a knife or a metal spatula around the edge and unmold. Do the same to release it from the top.

Now let's move on to the chocolate frosting:

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, I like to use the de Buyer copper saucepan, we mix all the ingredients and cook over medium heat, stirring well until everything has dissolved and we obtain a thick cream. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Keep in mind that this glaze firms up as it cools. That said, don’t pour it too hot, as it will tend to run; nor too thick, or it won’t spread easily and will end up more opaque.

We cover the cake with chocolate frosting and candied oranges and serve with more chocolate frosting on the side.

Tips:

• This cake keeps very well at room temperature for up to 3 days, and 10 days in the fridge. In fact, I forgot to put the cover on and it sat exposed to the air all night, and, surprisingly, it was incredibly moist.
• Just as there are cakes that are sinfully good when warm, this cake is best enjoyed at room temperature or chilled.

Enjoy.
Virginia