Sakura Orange Chiffon Cake

This was a simple cake for my dear daddy's birthday which I whipped up in 30 mins. I usually cannot do elaborate bakes on weekends when the kids are all around, so the pickled sakura flowers from dear Joan (thank you!!) came in handy. Thank God the bake went well and the cake was very well-received by the family! Cakes with orange zest always come out very moist, tender and fragrant.

For this bake, I was experimenting with the use of baking powder to see if it makes the chiffon rise higher (I usually do not using baking powder for my chiffons). Well, it didn't make a difference in my case, so I might omit it the next time round.

Here's my pickled sakura flowers all the way from Japan:

Preparation of pickled sakura flowers

1. Gently wash off the salt first under running water.
2. Soak in hot water for 15 min.
3. Pour away the hot water and refill with drinking water.
4. Remove the flowers and pat dry using kitchen towels. *Note to get the petals to “fan out”, you need to dip it back in the water and hold the petals open before you dry them.
5. Arrange them at the bottom of the tin.

Orange chiffon cake

3 egg yolks
20g sugar
39g vegetable oil
41ml orange juice
60g cake flour
Orange emulco
Orange zest
½ tsp baking powder *optional

4 egg whites
45g sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1. Preheat oven to 160°C. Prepare a tray of water at the bottom of the oven (I used the lowest rack to bake the cake).
2. Beat egg yolks with sugar with whisk till pale yellow before stirring in oil and orange juice.
3. Next add in sieved flour, orange zest and a drop of orange emulco and whisk till no trace of flour/powder found.
4. Meringue: Beat the egg whites with ¼ tsp cream of tartar till stiff peak, mixing in caster sugar in 2 additions.
5. Fold in the meringue gently into the batter 1/3 at a time.
6. Gently tap the tin on table 3x to remove air bubbles
7. Bake the cake for 15 min at 160°C then 35 min at 150°C.
8. Invert immediately once out of the oven to cool
9. Unmould after the cake is cool.

Happy birthday to my dear daddy!

With love,
Susanne