Vanilla Rose Chiffon Cake

Ingredients

Vanilla Rose Chiffon Cake Recipe

• 7 eggs, separated
• ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 2 cups plain flour
• 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• ¾ cup milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste

Icing

• 2 ½ cups pure icing sugar
• 1 teaspoon rose water
• 2 -3 tablespoons water

dried rose petals to decorate

Method

1. You will need at 23 cm (9 ¼ inch) angel food cake tin with extended feet and removable base for this recipe.  Do not grease or line your tin.
2.  Pre-heat oven 160°C (325°F).  21cm 8.5inches
3.  Using a stand mixer whisk egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl until stiff peaks form.  Gradually add ½ cup of the caster sugar, continue to whisk until mixture is stiff and glossy.   Set bowl aside.
4.  In a separate bowl beat egg yolks, oil, milk and vanilla until pale yellow.  Sift in flour and baking powder, then add sugar and salt.  Continue beating until well combined at a medium speed.
5.  Remove bowl from stand mixer and fold through 1/3 egg white mixture. Once incorporated gently fold through remaining egg white mixture until just combined.  Don’t over mix.
6.  Pour batter in to an ungreased angel food cake pan.  Place in the oven and bake for 50 minutes.
7.  After 50 minutes turn up the heat of the oven to 180°C (350°F) for an additional 15 minutes.  Cake is cooked when you gently press it in the middle with a finger and it springs back.
8.  Once out of the oven turn cake tin over and allow to cool completely upside down. 
9.  Once cool turn cake pan back over and run a sharp thin knife around the outside edges of the tin and then around the central tube.  From underneath gently push the cake out from the bottom, it will still be attached to the removable base.  Once removed from the tin, gently remove cake from base again using the sharp knife.
10.  The top of the cake when cooking becomes the base of your cake for decorating and serving.  This is how you get that perfectly flat top.  If your cake hasn’t risen evenly, you may wish to trim it slightly so it sits level.
11.  Drizzle icing over the top of the cake and decorate with rose petals if desired.
12.  To make icing:  Sift icing sugar in to a medium bowl.  Add rose water and 2 tablespoons of water.  Icing should be the consistency of runny honey, add a little more water at a time if needed to achieve this.

 Cooking Tip:  Don’t open the oven door for the firs 45 minutes of cooking to ensure the cake rises.