Yolan Frank
It’s hard for Merelyn to believe her humble but elegant Hungarian mother has become the torchbearer and gold-standard holder for chiffon cake. From a secret recipe guarded for over 50 years, to a published recipe baked all over the world, we had to share this postergirl cake again. It still breaks our hearts just a little that Yolan passed away just months before her recipe was published in our first book; sadly, she never got to see her chiffon masterpiece in all its glory. We are so proud that she lives on through her cake, a true culinary legacy.
Custard chiffon SERVES ABOUT 12
180g (1 cup + 2½ tablespoons) self-raising flour 1 teaspoon cream of tartar 35g (¼ cup) custard powder 6 eggs, separated 345g (1½ cups) caster sugar ½ teaspoon vanilla extract 80ml (⅓ cup) oil 170ml (⅔ cup) warm water icing sugar, to serve
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). You will need a high-sided angel cake (chiffon) tin that is not non-stick, has a centre funnel and removable base. Do not grease it. Before starting the cake, find a bottle that will fit into the top of the funnel – you will need to use this as soon as the cake comes out of the oven. 2 Sift the flour, cream of tartar and custard powder together three times to ensure they are fully combined. 3 Using an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks with 230g (1 cup) of the sugar until thick and pale, then add the vanilla. Pour the oil and warm water into a jug. Continuing to beat on low speed, add the flour mixture and the oil and water at the same time, beating well until you have a smooth batter.
4 In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form, then gradually add the remaining sugar and continue to whisk until the egg whites are stiff but not dry. Very carefully, fold the egg whites into the batter with a metal spoon or silicone spatula until just incorporated. Pour the mixture into the cake tin. Bake for 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. 5 After removing the cake from the oven, insert the bottle neck into the funnel and immediately invert the bottle and the tin in one movement so the tin is balancing on the neck of the bottle (the cake will be dangling upside down). It is important for the cake to be inverted and suspended upside down until it is completely cool to stop it from collapsing. 6 When cool, turn the tin right side up and run a knife around the outside of the cake and the funnel. Holding the funnel, lift the base out of the tin and then use the knife to cut the cake off the base. Invert onto a lightweight plate, remove the funnel piece, and then invert once again onto your serving plate. 7 Once cooled, dust with icing sugar before serving.
152 The Australian Women’s Weekly | MARCH 2020
step by step 1
2
Mix and sift the dry ingredients together to ensure they are fully combined.
Using a stand mixer with the paddle beater attachment, beat the egg yolks with the sugar until thick and pale. Beat well until the sugar has almost dissolved. (You can also use a handheld electric beater.)
7
8
After removing the cake from the oven, insert the bottle neck into the funnel and immediately invert the bottle and the tin in one movement so the tin is balancing on the neck of the bottle. It is important for the cake to be suspended upside down until it is completely cool to stop it from collapsing.
When cool, turn the tin right side up and run a knife around the outside of the cake and the funnel, literally cutting the cake away from the sides of the tin.
