The Lemon Chiffon Cake, known as “American Bundt Cake”, is a tall, light, very soft cake baked in the typical chiffon cake pan, which is tall and has three little feet, that should not be greased or floured, allowing the cake to stick to its sides, an essential pan for allowing the cake to cool inverted, maintaining its lightness.
The recipe is very simple, the secret to its success lies in carefully whipping the egg whites with the addition of cream of tartar to obtain a firm and steady batter, and adding water and vegetable oil, fundamental ingredients to give the chiffon cake its typical cloud-like consistency.
It’s a lactose-free water-based recipe ideal for those with intolerances, and a versatile recipe because you can simply replace the water with strawberry juice, orange juice, or coffee to give it a different aroma, perhaps the one you desire the most. Once baked, you can serve it naturally with a sprinkle of powdered sugar or decorate it with lemon curd, or chocolate glaze, or even fill it with classic custard or chocolate, making it ideal to be served as a dessert at the end of a meal or as a cake for special occasions. Let’s get ready to prepare this delicious recipe with and without the Thermomix!
See you soon, Susy
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- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Rest time: 2 Hours
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 10
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: American
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 349.80 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 49.55 (g) of which sugars 27.70 (g)
- Proteins 7.03 (g)
- Fat 14.91 (g) of which saturated 2.43 (g)of which unsaturated 11.66 (g)
- Fibers 0.72 (g)
- Sodium 121.05 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 110 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for the Lemon Chiffon Cake
For a 10-inch pan
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
- 6 eggs (Medium size)
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup sunflower oil
- 1 lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tablespoon cream of tartar
- 1 packet baking powder
- as needed powdered sugar
Tools
- Food processor
- Bundt pan Chiffon cake
- Spatula
- Hand whisk
Preparing the Lemon Chiffon Cake
Separate the yolks from the whites in two separate bowls.
Place sugar and lemon zest in the Thermomix bowl and pulverize for 10 sec at speed 10. Add the yolks and mix for 1 min at speed 4, then add water, oil, and vanilla extract and blend for 30 sec at speed 5. Finally, add flour and baking powder and mix for 30 sec at speed 5. Transfer the batter to a bowl, wash the Thermomix bowl thoroughly and prepare the meringue with the egg whites beaten to stiff peaks.
Pour the egg whites into the Thermomix bowl with the butterfly attachment, add cream of tartar and a pinch of salt, and beat for 4 Min at speed 4.
Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the prepared batter in 2/3 additions, using a spatula and mixing from bottom to top to avoid deflating the batter.
Pour the batter into the chiffon cake pan, without greasing it, and bake in a preheated oven at 340°F for one hour. Ensure it is cooked by performing the toothpick test. Once baked, invert the pan on a plate and let it cool completely before removing it from the pan, which will take about 2/3 hours. Once cool, if necessary, use a fine-bladed knife to release it from the sides and the removable bottom.
In a bowl, sift the flour and baking powder. Add the sugar and mix to combine. Incorporate the water, oil, and vanilla extract and mix well. Add the yolks, work with the hand whisk, and finally add the grated lemon zest and set aside.
Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks with an electric whisk. Add the cream of tartar and continue mixing. Fold the egg whites into the previously prepared batter in 2/3 additions, pour into the pan, and bake in a preheated static mode oven for one hour at 340°F. After baking, remove the chiffon from the oven, invert the pan over a glass for about 2/3 hours, and once cool, use a fine-bladed knife if necessary to release it from the pan sides and bottom.
Storage
The chiffon cake can be stored under a cake dome for up to a week!
FAQs
What is cream of tartar?
Cream of tartar is an organic acid found in many fruits such as grapes and tamarind. In combination with baking soda, it becomes an excellent substitute for baking powder to make our leavened cakes soft and more digestible. Used alone, it is a great stabilizer for egg whites and whipped cream, giving more volume and consistency.I don’t have a chiffon cake pan, what can I do?
You can use a Bundt pan, preferably a tall one, and then invert the cake by resting the pan’s ring on an upside-down tall glass.
