Chiffon cake is a cloud-like delight. I’ve omitted the sugar syrup you often find in other recipes for it, because I think it detracts from the lightness of the texture – you want a soft, airy crumb. You can use a shop-bought lemon curd for ease, but I’ve shared a homemade one if you feel inclined to try it; I love a little sharpness to contrast with the round sweetness of the vanilla cream coating.
Lemon chiffon cake
The finished cake will keep in the fridge for up to three days, but is best served at room temperature.
Prep 40 min
Cook 40 min
Serves 8-10
For the cake
Butter, for greasing
4 large eggs, separated
¼ tsp cream of tartar
180g golden caster sugar
50ml neutral oil
165g self-raising flour
Zest and juice of 3 lemons
A pinch of salt
Fresh berries, half of them whole and half chopped
For the lemon curd
Juice of 3 lemons (see above)
4 egg yolks
100g golden caster sugar
100g unsalted butter
For the whipped cream
700ml double cream
50g golden caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4, and grease and line a deep, round 20cmcake tin with baking paper, making sure the paper comes a few centimetres above the rim of the tin.
Put the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl, add the cream of tartar and beat to soft peaks. Add a quarter of the sugar (45g), whip until the mix has the texture of uncooked meringue, then set aside.
In a second bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining sugar, neutral oil, 50ml water, the flour, lemon zest and a pinch of salt, until smooth and well combined.
Gently fold the egg white mixture into the batter until fully incorporated, but be careful not to overmix: the batter should be light and airy. Transfer the cake batter to the lined tin and bake for 30-40 minutes, until the cake is lightly golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Meanwhile, make the curd. Combine the lemon juice, egg yolks and sugar in a heatproof bowl, then set the bowl over a pot of just-simmering water and cook, stirring constantly, for 10-15 minutes, until the mixture thickens. Take off the heat, whisk in the butter until smooth, then leave to cool.
In another bowl, whip the cream, sugar and vanilla to soft peaks, then set aside.
Remove the cake from the oven and leave it in its tin to cool a little. Once cool enough to handle, transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Slice the cooled cake horizontally through the middle. Spread a layer of lemon curd on the bottom half of the cake, and top that with a layer of whipped cream and chopped fruit, if using. Sandwich with the second layer of cake and cover the entire thing with the remaining cream. Decorate with whole fresh berries and more lemon curd, if you wish.
