Lemon Chiffon Cake
Large eggs, chilled - 4
Separate the egg whites and yolks.
Beat the egg yolks
Sugar - 130g
Add 1/3 of the sugar and beat till pale yellow.
Oil - 55g
Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
Water - 40g
Lemon juice - 45g
Lemon zest - 1 tbsp
Whisk all together till you see small bubbles.
Cake flour - 110g
See the description box below to learn how to make cake flour.
Baking powder - 1 tsp
Pinch of salt
Sift in the cake flour mixture gradually and combine.
Beat the egg whites on medium speed until foams are formed.
Add half of the remaining sugar.
Beat at medium speed, about 1 minute.
Add the rest of the sugar
Beat on high speed until you get firm peaks.
When you lift the whisk, the egg whites should be firm but the tip should fall over slightly.
Add 1/3 of beaten egg whites to the egg yolk mixture at a time.
Gently combine to avoid deflating the batter.
Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula.
Pour the batter into the ungreased aluminum 8-inch (20cm) chiffon cake pan.
Pour slowly and as low a height as possible to reduce new air bubbles created.
Level and smooth out the top of the cake batter.
Stir the batter with a skewer to pop small bubbles.
Tap the pan against the kitchen counter to get rid of large air bubbles.
Preheat the oven to 340°F (170°C). Bake on the lowest rack for about 40-45 minutes.
Bake until a skewer comes out clean when it's poked.
Once baked, tap couple times and invert the cake immediately.
Place on a bottle or salt/pepper mill.
Icing sugar