Today I continued my trip down memory lane; this time with Pandan Chiffon Cake, one that mom used to make very often in the early 90's when we were still living in Old Klang Road. I remember I was only allowed to stir the thick green batter with a wooden spoon and not touch the egg whites. That was when I first mused to myself that eggwhites must be for grown ups only and not to be trusted in the hands of an 8 year old. Mom has often commented that Chiffon cakes are temperamental, "Aihhh, sometimes they rise so high and stay that way and sometimes the cake just sinks immediately after baking". With that in mind, I did not attempt to make any, UNTIL the Chinatown store in Melbourne suddenly stopped selling those Chiffon cakes. I was dismayed. I have to try somehow to make it.
So Chiffon Cake - Dreamy or Nightmare?
Fortunately, mine turned out super dreamy today, so pillowy soft and fluffy and moist. I was thoroughly surprised. I have previously made an Orange Chiffon cake following the recipe from Joy of Baking and it was good but I did not own the proper Chiffon Tube Cake pan then and I prefer pandan to orange.
I'm still in the process of tweaking the recipe as I've been researching other websites and blogs to have an idea of what makes up the Chiffon Cake. Most of the simple ingredients used are the same but the quantities differ. I've hazarded a guess today with the flour quantity but the end result was worth it! I used 9 egg whites and 8 of the yolks instead of 7 and 6 respectively as listed on Joy of Baking only because I think the chiffon cake pan is bigger than a normal tube pan?
The cake kept it's height and most importantly, it was light. I suppose to obtain that result, there shouldn't be too much flour and the cooking oil does contribute to the moistness of the cake. Other basic pointers are to ensure the egg whites are well beatened and volumnised, folded gently and not stirred, not opening the door whilst the cake is baking and inverting the cake immediately after it's cooked. Oh and do not grease the tube pan at all! This will help the batter cling to the cake pan to achieve its height.
I will post a finalised recipe soon. Until then, enjoy the photos of my latest endeavor.
Pandan (Screwpine leaves). Got a more concentrated extract by pounding the leaves with a little water and then squeezing the juice out by hand through a muslin cloth rather than blending it in the machine.
I bought these frozen from Wing Cheong Asian grocery store in Chinatown. If you're in luck, you might find fresh ones at Springvale and Footscray markets.
Natural green aromatic extract from the leaves
Cumulonimbus cloud of beaten egg-whites folded into the green batter.
Chiffon Cake Tube Pan
The finished product
The texture is akin to "Boing!" "Boing! fluffiness.
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