Pineapple Chiffon Cake

Welcome back! 

Today, we have another chiffon cake! Evidently, we really like chiffon cakes, but there's a good reason - they're actually not too hard to make once you get the process down, and you can really make a lot of variations. Plus, you get a nice big, fluffy cake. In other words, it's delicious! This version uses the pineapple preserves that we made a while ago; it's a great combination with the innate flavor and texture of the cake.

Pineapple Chiffon Cake

Makes an 8" cake

Ingredients:

• 6 egg yolks
• 60 grams oil
• 80 grams orange juice (or milk)
• 120 grams pineapple preserves
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder (optional)
• 120 grams cake flour
• 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier (optional)

• 6 egg whites
• 1 teaspoon lemon/lime juice
• 60 grams sugar

Directions:

1. Mix the egg yolks along with the oil. Add the orange juice and pineapple preserves (the Grand Marnier too if you want), then mix.
2. Sift the cake flour and baking powder in, but don't over-mix!
3. In another bowl, put in the egg whites and lemon juice and use an electric mixer until it is a little foamy.
4. Then, add about 1/3 of the sugar in at a time and mix until stiff peaks.
   
   
   
5. Put 1/3 of the egg white mixture into the egg yolk mixture and mix lightly.
6. Slowly fold this mixture into the rest of the egg whites. Don't stir it as this will mess up the consistency.
   
   
   
7. Put into a cake mold (don't grease this!) and bake for 315°F for 35 to 40 minutes.
8. Once it's done, flip the whole cake, mold and all, upside down so the cake doesn't shrink. If you greased the mold, the cake is going to fall out.
   
   
   
9. Enjoy!
   
   
   

Pineapple works especially well in this recipe because it really blends in unlike fruits like berries, which would seep their juices into the cake. It also complements the sweetness with a little bit of the sourness from the pineapple. However, you could still make this with other preserves, as it's pretty similar. We have, for example, a recipe for cranberry preserves, that you could use, though it's not quite cranberry season right now.

-Chefpo