Name: Chiffon Cake With Strawberries and Cream
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 180 min
Ingredients: 2.25 cups cake flour (not self-rising); 1.5 cups granulated sugar, divided; 2.25 teaspoons baking powder; 0.75 teaspoon salt; 0.5 cup safflower oil; 7 large egg yolks plus 9 large egg whites; 0.75 cup whole milk; 0.5 teaspoon cream of tartar; 1 whole vanilla bean, split and scraped, or 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract; 2 pounds strawberries, hulled and halved or quartered (about 5 cups), plus more for serving; 0.5 cup granulated sugar; 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice; Pinch of salt; 2 cups cold heavy cream; 0.25 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for sprinkling

Prep Time:

30 mins

Total Time:

3 hrs

Servings:

12

Chiffon cake is light and airy like angel food cake, but it's also rich and moist because it includes both egg yolks and oil. It keeps its beautiful soft texture when chilled, so it's a great cake for a frosting or filling that needs to be refrigerated, like the whipped cream in this recipe. After baking, the chiffon cake is sliced horizontally to create three layers and filled with macerated strawberries and sweetened whipped cream. A dusting of confectioners' sugar on top is the finishing touch.

Chiffon Cake Tips

Chiffon cake gets its volume from whipped egg whites and sugar rather than from creaming butter and sugar together as many cakes do. In fact, like angel food cake, chiffon cake does not include any butter. The egg whites are whipped with cream of tartar which makes them more stable, then sugar is added to create meringue. The meringue is gradually folded into to the cake batter so it doesn't deflate.

Pan preparation: While most cake recipes call for greasing the cake pan, we don’t do this when making a chiffon cake in a tube pan. The cake will “climb” up the sides of the pan as it bakes and greasing the pan prevents it from holding onto the walls of the cake pan so the cake will not rise properly.
Be careful when separating the eggs: Even a small amount of yolk in the whites will prevent them from whipping up properly. Note that eggs separate most easily when cold, but allow them to come to room temperature before whipping as this is the best for getting volume in the egg whites.
Folding the meringue Into the cake batter: The meringue needs to be added carefully so as not to deflate it. To do this, we add about a quarter of the meringue to the cake batter first, and fold that in. Folding is a technique of incorporating ingredients gently. Fold around the perimeter of the bowl, then fold up and over. Then fold in the rest of the meringue. A rubber spatula is a good tool for folding.
Cooling upside down: Similar to an angel food cake, a chiffon cake baked in a tube pan needs to be inverted for cooling. Most tube pans have feet that allow you to do this easily. If your tube pan does not have feet, invert it over a glass bottle like a wine bottle.

Variations

Instead of creating a layered cake, serve the chiffon cake cut into slices with berries and whipped cream on the side.
Chiffon cake doesn't have to be baked in a tube pan. Use two 9-inch cake pans buttered and floured and lined with parchment instead. Bake until top of cake springs back when touched, checking after 35 minutes. Cool upside down on cooling rack.

Ingredients

For the Cake

2 ¼ cups cake flour (not self-rising)
1 ½ cups granulated sugar, divided
2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
½ cup safflower oil
7 large egg yolks plus 9 large egg whites
¾ cup whole milk
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
1 whole vanilla bean, split and scraped, or 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For the Berries and Cream

2 pounds strawberries, hulled and halved or quartered (about 5 cups), plus more for serving
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Pinch of salt
2 cups cold heavy cream
¼ cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for sprinkling

Directions

Preheat oven and combine dry ingredients:

Preheat oven to 325°F. Whisk together flour, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, the baking powder, and salt.
Mix oil, yolks, and milk, then whisk dry ingredients in:

Whisk together oil, egg yolks, and milk in a large bowl. Whisk flour mixture into egg-yolk mixture.
Whip egg whites:

Beat egg whites with a mixer on high speed until frothy. Add cream of tartar and vanilla seeds or extract, and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 3/4 cup granulated sugar, beating until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 5 minutes.
Gradually fold egg whites into batter:

Whisk one-third of the egg-white mixture into batter. Gently but thoroughly fold in remaining egg-white mixture with a rubber spatula.
Transfer to tube pan and bake:

Pour batter into tube pan. Bake until top of cake springs back when touched, 52 to 55 minutes. Let cool upside down (over a bottle or on tube-pan feet) 1 hour.
Cool:

Let cool upside down (over a bottle or on tube-pan feet) 1 hour.
Make the berries and cream:

While cake is baking and cooling, combine strawberries, granulated sugar, lemon juice, and salt, and let sit, stirring occasionally, 1 hour.
Make sweetened whipped cream:

Just before assembling, beat cream and confectioners' sugar until medium peaks form.
Remove cake from pan and cut into layers:

Slide a paring knife around edges of tube and side of pan; release cake. Cut cake horizontally into 3 layers with a serrated knife.
Spread berries and cream on first layer:

Transfer bottom layer to a cake plate or platter. Spread with half the berries, and drizzle with juices. Spread half the whipped cream over berries.
Repeat with middle layer and add top layer :

Top with middle cake layer. Spread with remaining berries and whipped cream. Top with remaining cake layer.
Refrigerate, dust with sugar and serve:

Refrigerate cake 1 hour to allow filling to set up. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar, and serve with more strawberries.