Cocoa Chiffon Cake
Submitted by blair alexandria
Cocoa chiffon cake made with whipped egg whites, cocoa powder, and a hint of cinnamon. Light as air with deep chocolate flavor, baked in a Bundt pan and finished with powdered sugar.
YIELD
16 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
45 minREADY
1 hrsChiffon cake gets the chocolate treatment here, and the result is impossibly light with a rich cocoa flavor that heavier butter cakes can’t touch. The secret is in the structure: five whipped egg whites folded into a cocoa-oil batter give this cake its cloud-like crumb while oil keeps it moist for days.
A whisper of cinnamon in the batter adds warmth without announcing itself. You won’t taste cinnamon, but you’d miss it if it weren’t there.
The technique requires patience. Beat the egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff but not dry, then fold the batter into the whites in four additions. Rushing this step deflates the air you just worked to build.
Pro Tips
- Room temperature egg whites whip to greater volume. Separate them 30 minutes before you start.
- Don’t grease the pan with butter or cooking spray. Oil and cocoa dusting is the right prep for chiffon, ensuring the batter can climb the sides as it rises.
- The cracked top is normal and expected. It flips to the bottom when you invert the cake.
- Rap the pan sharply once before baking. Just once. This pops large air bubbles without deflating the batter.
- Let it cool 10 minutes upright before inverting. Unmolding too soon and the cake collapses.
Variations
- Add espresso powder to the dry ingredients to deepen the chocolate flavor.
- Top with chocolate ganache instead of powdered sugar for a more indulgent finish.
- Fold in mini chocolate chips before baking for pockets of melted chocolate throughout.
Ingredients
Directions
Position rack in the centre of the oven and preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃).
Brush the inside of a 9-inch Bundt or springform tube pan with oil and sift a little cocoa over the pan.
Tap out the excess.
Sift together flour, ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon sifted cocoa, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon into a large mixing bowl.
Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add oil, ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water, vanilla and egg yolk.
Do not mix.
Place egg whites in another large mixing bowl.
Add cream of tartar and beat with an electric mixer until they are white and foamy.
Add 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar and continue beating until stiff but not dry.
Scrape off the beaters and, without washing them, place them in the flour-and-oil mixture and beat at low speed just until well blended.
In four additions, gently fold this mixture into the egg whites.
Turn the batter out into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
Rap the pan sharply on the counter once to remove any large air bubbles.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the top feels springy and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. (The top of the cake will be cracked.)
Cool the cake upright on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
With a knife, loosen sides and centre of cake from the pan.
Invert onto the rack, lift off pan and cool cake completely.
Place on a serving platter and top with a light sifting of confectioners’ sugar.
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