The origins of Chiffon Cake date back to the mid-20th century, and the creator and history of this cake is quite interesting.
The Birth of Chiffon Cake:
Chiffon cake was created by American baker Harry Baker in the early 1940s. He was a cake merchant at the time, and by chance, he invented a very light and moist cake that was characterized by the use of vegetable oil instead of butter and the fluffy effect of whipping egg whites.
Before this cake was created, cakes at the time mostly relied on butter or other solid fats to provide a moist feeling, but such cakes were sometimes too oily and not light enough. Harry Baker wanted to create a cake that was both light and moist, so he decided to use vegetable oil instead of traditional butter to keep the cake moist without being too greasy.
Interestingly, this cake is not of French origin, but was created by an American. The word “chiffon” in the name comes from French and means a light fabric, which is a description of the lightness and softness of the cake.
Commercialization of Chiffon Cake:
In 1947, Harry Baker successfully trademarked and began selling this cake, naming the cake “Chiffon Cake” (the French word for “chiffon” means a light cloth that symbolizes the lightness of the cake). The cake quickly became a success in the American market, especially because of its moist and fluffy texture, which contrasted with the traditional pound cake or sponge cake of the time.
Spread and popularization of chiffon cake:
With the success of chiffon cake in the market, Harry Baker sold its recipe to General Mills in the 1950s. The company began selling chiffon cake recipes and kits to housewives and promoting how the cake was made. The light texture and simplicity of chiffon cake make it a popular choice for home baking.
Features of chiffon cake:
- Light and fluffy: The best feature of chiffon cake is its light texture. This is because during the making process, the egg whites are whipped to a hard foam, forming a rich structure of bubbles that make the cake very fluffy.
- Moist and soft: Add vegetable oil (such as corn oil or salad oil) to the chiffon cake instead of butter to keep the cake moist and not too greasy.
- Egg yolk is processed separately from the egg white: During the making process, the egg yolk and egg white are processed separately. Egg yolks are mixed with sugar, liquids (such as water, milk, or juice) and oil to make egg yolk paste; The egg whites are whipped with sugar until they are hard and foamy, and finally gently mixed with the egg yolk paste.
- Use special molds: Chiffon cakes are usually baked with a round mold with no oil and no bottom, which helps the cake to expand evenly during the baking process, and it needs to be cooled inverted after baking, which can prevent the cake from sinking and maintain its fluffy structure.
The process of making chiffon cake:
- To make the egg yolk paste: Combine the egg yolks, sugar, oil, liquid, and sifted flour and stir until smooth.
- Whipping egg whites: Whipping egg whites until they are hard foamy is the key to the success of chiffon cakes.
- Mix egg whites and egg yolk paste: Gently stir the whipped egg whites into the egg yolk paste in portions, taking care not to break the bubbles, so as to maintain the fluffiness of the cake.
- Baking and cooling: Pour the mixed batter into the mold, put it in the oven and bake it at the appropriate temperature, and immediately after baking, turn the cake mold upside down to cool to prevent the cake from collapsing.
The taste of chiffon cake:
The texture of chiffon cake is very soft, moist, and elastic. It’s not on the dry side like sponge cakes, chiffon cakes have a moist feel that comes from the grease and liquid ingredients, and because of the whipped egg whites, the cake texture is very light and usually fluffy but not greasy.
Summary:
Chiffon cake is a very popular Western-style cake that is perfect for all occasions and is delicious whether it is enjoyed on its own or with fruit, cream or flower decorations. Because of the whipped egg white technology in the production process, the cake has a unique light taste, and it is moist and does not dry, and it is loved by many people.
