lemon and cocoa chiffon cake

i had took a long break from baking since exam season and was busily immersed in my text books (or so i hope...) for two months. after exams had flown past, my baking nerve started to go a bit cray cray and so i went online and bought a new chiffon pan to kick-start my baking antics again.

after googling for a good recipe to try out my new pan, i came across a classic pandan chiffon cake recipe that i've made many times before (one reason cos my mum loves eating it so much), but also a new technique of layering cocoa powder to create a patterned cake! [link here.]

i became so addicted to this technique that i started doing it in all my chiffon cakes, including this lemon one which turned out absolutely beautiful! the cake was plump, i had a good pattern and the mix of lemon and cocoa was just right!

as an avid chiffon cake baker, i was so impressed with this bake and to jazz up patterns with such a simple technique. you can check out some of my other chiffon cakes here, but be warned, there are incredibly old posts!

lemon and cocoa chiffon cake

recipe from noms i must

Ingredients:

90g cake flour

5 egg yolks

20g caster sugar

60g canola oil

50g water

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 lemon's zest

5 egg whites

90g caster sugar

10g corn flour

cocoa powder

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 160°C. Sift flour twice

2. Place egg yolks and sugar in a bowl and beat well. Add water, canola oil, lemon juice and zest and stir to incorporate. Add flour and mix well until the batter becomes sticky.

3. To make meringue, combine sugar and corn flour. Beat egg whites until foamy. Add half the sugar and continue beating for a few minutes, then add remaining sugar and beat until egg whites are glossy and stiff peaks form.

4. Add one-third of meringue into egg yolk mixture and fold in lightly, then add remaining meringue and fold to incorporate completely.

5. Pour a layer of batter into an ungreased tube pan and sift cocoa powder over it. Gently pour another layer of batter over the cocoa powder (you do not have to level it). Then sift cocoa powder over the batter. Repeat the process. Bake for 40 mins.

6. When cake is done, remove from oven and turn it over, leaving it to cool.

7. Once cake has cooled completely, carefully run a knife or spatula around the sides of the cake to loosen it before inverting onto a wire rack.