Black Sesame Chiffon Cake

Is there any difference between a chiffon cake and sponge cake? They are quite similar but a chiffon cake calls for oil, its texture is more fluffy and airy while a sponge cake is oil/butter/fat free. Most people complain that their chiffon cake sunk after cooling or did not rise. I have made this chiffon cake many times and never encountered any problems. I’m Christine Ho’s big fan and learned how to make this black sesame chiffon cake from her blog. Her tip on how to prevent the cake from sinking is very helpful (i.e. never grease the pan or use a non-stick pan). The reason I chose her recipe over many others found on the net is because her cake is so light and the sweetness is just right.

I slightly adjusted her recipe by adding more sesame powder and using 6 egg yolks. You will love this recipe – it’s easy and the cake is even fluffier and softer than the store-made ones!

Ingredients:

6
60g
1 tsp

Egg whites
Caster sugar
Cream of tartar

80g
1/8 tsp
1 tsp
30g
6
30g
50g
80ml

Cake flour
Salt
Baking powder
Black sesame powder
Egg yolks
Caster Sugar
Olive oil
Non-fat milk

Method:

Preheat oven to 340F.
To separate eggs, place 3 small bowls side by side. Crack the first egg and pull the shell halves apart. Pass the yolk back and forth, letting the white fall into the first bowl. Put the yolk in the second bowl. Transfer the white to the third bowl and repeat with the remaining eggs. By doing it this way, if you have one bad egg, you do not need to discard all egg whites.
Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until bubbles form. It is best to begin at a slow speed and gradually move up to high when beating. Add cream of tartar. After mixing well, add 60 grams of sugar in three batches, about one-third at a time, and beat well between additions. Continue to beat until the egg whites are stiff and glossy. Don’t over beat it, overbeaten whites look lumpy and watery.

Sift the cake flour, baking powder, salt and black sesame powder. Use a spoon to press through the sift if necessary. (Picture 1)
Whisk the egg yolks with 30 grams of caster sugar, until the sugar completely dissolves. (Picture 2)
Stir in the oil, bit by bit, until completely combined. Add milk and stir well. (Pictures 3 and 4)
Sift the flour mixture into the egg yolk mixture, in three batches. Combine well. (Picture 5 and 6)
Fold-in the beaten egg whites with a spatula. (Picture 7)
Pour the batter into an 8″ tube pan and bake in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes. After baking the first 15 minutes, if you find the cake surface gets browning, reduce heat to 320F. Continue to bake until cooked through. A needle comes out clean when inserted in the middle. (Picture 8)
Remove the cake from the oven. Invert the pan immediately on a wire rack. Let it cool completely (at least an hour). (Picture 9)