Orange Chiffon Cake – With Olive Oil

This recipe has evolved from a recipe in the CIA cookbook, and a Bittman cookbook, and an Alton Brown recipe – to the point that it’s become its own thing.

It is very versatile –  it makes great cakes, and great cupcakes.  This recipe makes a lot, but the cakes keep well in the freezer.

Pre-heat the oven to 325°F

Prep 2  pans – Spray with non-stick spray, line with parchment, spray again, then coat with sugar (I used a 9×5 by 2.5″ inch pans, but 6x6x4 also works)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.0 Cake  

Ingredients:

• 225 grams  ________________ Cake Flour (2 ¹⁄₄ Cups, before sifting) – sift
• 1 TBSP   ________________ Baking Powder (sifted with the flour)
• 300 grams________________ sugar (1 ¹⁄₂ Cups, use ³⁄₄ cup for egg yolks, and the rest for the egg whites)
• 7     ________________ egg yolks (~ ¹⁄₂Cup)
• ¹⁄₂ tsp  ________________ salt
• ¹⁄₂ Cup ________________ olive oil
• ¹⁄₂  Cup _________________ Fresh orange juice (I used blood orange)
• Zest _________________ 1 Orange
• 2 tsp   ________________ vanilla
• 9     ________________ egg whites (1 ¹⁄₃ Cup)
• 1 tsp _______________ cream of tartar

Instructions:

• In a large bowl with a large whisk, or stand mixer whip the egg whites, with the sugar.
  • Start the whites with a whisk, by hand, to avoid un-whipped egg whites from collecting in the bottom of the bowl
• Whip to stiff peaks – stiff but not dry.
• Scoop whipped egg whites into another clean bowl
• Beat the yolks, remaining sugar, salt, and vanilla, orange juice and zest, and olive oil, together.
• On low, add in the flour, until just combined
• Remove from mixer, and fold in one-third of the egg whites.
• Fold in the rest of the egg whites, carefully.
• Distribute into the pans, filling only to about 3/4 full, it rises a lot.
• Bake for 50-60 minutes. Check at 45 minutes.  Don’t let it get too brown, but make sure the middle isn’t goopey.
• Remove, and let cool.

Cup cakes:

• Instead of pans, using cupcake liners, fill each one 3/4 of the way full.
• Bake for 20 minutes – check at 15 minutes.
• Remove from the muffin pan as soon as they’re done so they don’t get soft on the bottom.

4.0 Fondant Icing

Ingredients:

• 500 grams  ________________ Sugar (2.5 Cup)
• 100 grams  ________________ glucose syrup (or corn syrup)
• 100 grams  ________________ water
• 100 grams _________________ fondant (optional, to seed the crystallization)
• cup  ________________ orange juice (or blood orange juice)

Instructions:

• Mix sugar, water, and glucose syrup in a sauce pan.  Bring to a boil
• Heat to 243°F / 117°Cthen remove from heat
• Sprinkle with cold water to help cool it, and add the optional fondant.
• Cool to 120°F
• Agitate in the pan, mixing it.
• Pour it into the stand mixer, and beat with the paddle attachment.
• It will crystallize and become semi-solid.  The more you mix it, the more dough like it becomes.
• You want it to stay semi liquid, so you can stop before it gets doughy, or you can get it doughy, then carefully reheat it to 100° F
• Stir in the juice.
• (You can make a simpler icing by heating the juice and adding powdered sugar – about 2 cups, till they come together)

1.0 Cake  (Smaller recipe)

Ingredients:

• 113 grams  ________________ Cake Flour (1 ¹⁄₈Cups, before sifting) – sift
• 1 ¹⁄₂ tsp  ________________ Baking Powder (sifted with the flour)
• 150 grams________________ sugar (³⁄₄Cups, use half of it for egg yolks, and the rest for the egg whites)
• 4     ________________ egg yolks (~ ¹⁄₄Cup)
• ¹⁄₄ tsp  ________________ salt
• ¹⁄₄Cup ________________ olive oil
• ¹⁄₄Cup _________________ Fresh orange juice (I used blood orange)
• Zest _________________ 1 Orange
• 1 tsp   ________________ vanilla
• 5     ________________ egg whites (²⁄₃ Cup)
• ¹⁄₂ tsp _______________ cream of tartar