Orange Chiffon Cake

This cake is one of my favorite. I would say it is a tedious process making chiffon or sponge cake, you know...we've got to do a separate process for the yolks and the egg whites and we need to squeeze some nice oranges for their juices. Not to mention lots of baking utensils need to be washed afterward but in the end...an afternoon English tea or a strong Arabica coffee with a slice of this fluffy cake in front of your garden, well...it's worth it. :)

Orange Chiffon Cake

Ingredients:
6 large eggs (grade A) plus one additional egg white - separated, cover and bring to room temperature
2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
1 1/4 cups caster sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cups freshly squeezed orange juice (about 2 large oranges)
Orange zest - grated from 2 oranges
1 tsp vanilla essence
3/4 tsp cream of tartar
3 tbsp caster sugar

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees Celsius and prepared one 25cm 2-pc ungreased tube pan.

2. Combine and beat flour, sugar, baking powder and salt using your handheld electric mixer. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture and add the yolks, oil, juice, zest and vanilla essence. Beat until no patches of flour seen. Set aside.

3. In a separate mixing bowl with whisk attachment, beat the egg white until foamy and add the cream of tartar. Beat until soft peaks form. Add 3 tbsp caster sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.

4. Using a silicone spatula, gently fold in one spoonful of the egg white into the yolk batter and carefully blend them together. Then fold in the remaining egg white mixture into the batter and blend.

5. Pour batter into the ungreased tube pan and bake for 50 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

5. Immediately after removing the cake from the oven, turn the pan upside down and place it on a flat surface for cooling process. Let the cake cool for about 1- 2 hours before removing it from the pan.