Ingredients
Vanilla Chiffon Cake
- 1 cup (120 g) cake flour
- 1 teaspoon (4 g) baking powder
- 6 large eggs, whites and yolks separated, room temperature
- ½ teaspoon (1 g) cream of tartar
- ¾ cup (150 g) sugar, divided
- ¼ teaspoon (1 g) salt
- 2 tablespoon (30 g) milk
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup (70 g) vegetable oil
Whipped Cream
- 2 ½ cup (600 g) heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup (40 g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Mangoes
- 2 fresh mangoes, peeled and cubed
Instructions
- Prepare oven and pans: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line the bottoms of three 6-inch cake pans with parchment paper without greasing. Set aside.
- Mix dry ingredients: Sift cake flour and baking powder into a large bowl and whisk together. Set aside.
- Make meringue: Using a stand or hand mixer, beat egg whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar and beat on high until pale and frothy. Gradually add ⅓ of the sugar (¼ cup), one tablespoon at a time, until stiff peaks form—when lifted the peaks stand straight and glossy.
- Prepare egg yolk mixture: Beat egg yolks with remaining ⅔ sugar (½ cup), salt, milk, and vanilla extract on high speed until pale yellow and fluffy, forming ribbons that hold for 3-4 seconds.
- Add dry ingredients to egg yolks: Fold sifted dry ingredients into the egg yolk mixture in three batches, gently incorporating each until just combined.
- Add oil: Mix a few spoonfuls of the egg yolk batter with the vegetable oil to loosen, then gently fold this into the rest of the yolk mixture.
- Combine meringue with yolk batter: Fold the meringue into the yolk mixture in three parts using an upward folding motion to maintain airiness without deflating the batter, until no streaks remain.
- Bake the cake: Evenly divide batter into prepared pans, tap to remove large air bubbles, and bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then run a knife around edges and transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Trim tops for even layers.
- Whip cream: Beat cold heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla on high until medium-stiff peaks form. Chill until assembly.
- Assemble cake layers: Place first cake layer on a turntable or surface, spread a thin, even layer of whipped cream, then add a layer of cubed mango. Cover mango with whipped cream to fill gaps. Repeat with remaining layers.
- Decorate: Apply a thin crumb coat of whipped cream over assembled cake and chill for 15 minutes. Spread a final smooth layer of whipped cream and decorate with piped whipped cream and additional mango cubes as desired.
- Chill before serving: Refrigerate the completed cake for 1-2 hours to set before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Add sugar gradually to egg whites to avoid meringue collapse.
- Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form—tips stand straight but slightly droop.
- Egg yolk mixture should be pale yellow and ribbon when beaten adequately.
- Mix vegetable oil with some batter first to incorporate gently and avoid deflating the mixture.
- Sift dry ingredients and fold gently to avoid dense cake or low volume.
- Fold meringue in three parts using upward motions to retain airiness.
- Tap pans to release large air bubbles before baking.
- Use cold heavy cream for whipping and avoid overwhipping.
- Chill cake after crumb coat to stabilize frosting before final decoration.
- Refrigerate the cake after assembly and before slicing to prevent melting or crumbling.
- Store leftover cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
