Chiffon Cake for the Holidays

Recipe below! I'll show you how to make this lime chiffon cake with a raspberry swiss meringue buttercream! This cake has a fluffy texture, a rich but not overly sweet frosting and a combination of flavours that is truly a crowd-pleaser. (I like this cake so much, in fact, that I make it in the summer, grill unfrosted slices on the BBQ and serve them with fresh fruits.)

• Recipe •

Makes one 10-inch (25 cm) layer cake

Serves 16

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 75 minutes

Make Ahead Tip: You can bake and assemble the cake a full 1 to 2 days before serving and store well wrapped at room temperature. Add berry garnish no more than 4 hours before serving, otherwise the sugar on the berries will dissolve. Store decorated cake uncovered in the fridge until serving time.

• Ingredients •

Cake

• 7 large eggs, separated and at room temperature
• 3 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 2 tsp (8 g) cream of tartar
• 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar, divided
• 2 ¼ cups (290 g) cake and pastry flour
• 2 tsp (6 g) baking powder
• ½ tsp (2.5 g) salt
• Zest of 3 limes
• ½ cup (125 mL) fresh lime juice
• ½ cup (125 mL) vegetable oil
• ¼ cup (60 mL) plain yoghurt or kefir

Buttercream

• 6 large egg whites
• 1 ⅔ cups (240 g) granulated sugar
• 1 ⅔ cups (365 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ⅓ cup (80 mL) unstrained raspberry purée, made from frozen and thawed raspberries
• OR 2 Tbsp of freeze-dried raspberry powder
• 1 Tbsp (15 mL) fresh lime juice
• 2 tsp (10 mL) vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups (165 g) fresh raspberries
• Granulated sugar, for garnish
• Fresh mint leaves, for garnish

• Directions •

1. Preheat the oven to 325 °F (160 °C). Have ready an ungreased 10-inch (25 cm) angel food cake pan.

2. For the cake, place the 10 egg whites into a large mixing bowl, or stand mixer with fitted whip attachment. Add cream of tartar and whip on high speed until foamy. With mixer still running, add ¼ cup (50 g) of the sugar and continue to whip until mixture forms a medium peak when the beaters are lifted. Set aside.

3. Sift the flour, the remaining 1¼ cups (250 g) of sugar, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl (if using a stand mixer, you do not need to wash the bowl or whip attachment). Add the lime zest, lime juice, oil, yoghurt or kefir, and 7 egg yolks. Blend on medium-low speed for a minute and then increase speed to medium-high, whipping for 2 minutes, until the batter is smooth.

4. Fold the whipped whites into the batter in two additions (using a whisk avoids deflating the whipped whites).

5. Pour batter into tube pan and bake for an hour, until centre springs back when gently pressed. Cool the cake in pan, either upside down on a wire rack, or directly on counter if pan has “feet.”

6. For buttercream, place egg whites and sugar in a metal bowl and set it over pot of gently simmering water. Whisk constantly but not vigorously until mixture reaches 150 °F (65 °C) on a candy thermometer, about 6 minutes.

7. Use electric beaters, or transfer the mixture to stand mixer with whip attachment, and whip on high speed until meringue has cooled to room temperature (it will hold a stiff peak by then).

8. With mixer still running on high, add butter a few pieces at a time. Buttercream will eventually deflate a little and become creamy yet fluffy looking. Beat in raspberry purée (or freeze dried raspberry powder), lime juice and vanilla. Set aside.

9. When cake is cooled and ready to assemble, run a palette knife around inside edge of cake pan. Insert bamboo skewer down the inside of the centre hole in a few places, to slightly loosen cake. Tap out cake onto counter (you may have to tap hard, but it will stay intact).

10. To assemble the cake, use a serrated knife to slice horizontally into three equal layers. Place the bottom third of the cake on a platter or cake stand and spread buttercream on top.

11. Set middle layer on top. Use a small palette knife to reach into centre hole and spread a little buttercream on edges of both layers of cake. Make sure it is well covered.

12. Spread some buttercream on top of middle layer of cake, then set top layer on, pressing gently to ensure cake is level.

13. Spread some buttercream around edges of the centre hole, then cover top and sides of cake completely. Chill cake uncovered until ready to serve.

14. To garnish the cake, make sure the raspberries are dry and room temperature. Dip half of the raspberries into granulated sugar—the sugar will stick to the berries and look like a light coat of frosting. Alternate dusted and undusted berries in a circle on top of the cake, and insert a few mint leaves so arrangement has the shape of a wreath.