Vanilla Chiffon Cake

Taste: Sweet; Technique: Baking; Time: Several hours; Difficulty: Advanced.

Detailed Steps for Cooking Vanilla Chiffon Cake

Cut open the vanilla pods and scrape out the seeds.

Heat the milk with the vanilla seeds to infuse the milk with the vanilla flavor. Then strain out the seeds and set the milk aside.

Separate the egg whites and yolks. Beat the yolks and add the oil, mixing well.

Add the sugar and mix well.

Add the milk infused with vanilla and mix well.

Sift in the low-gluten flour and mix until there are no lumps.

Add a few drops of lemon juice to the egg whites to help them beat and stabilize. You can also use vinegar instead of lemon juice or omit this step altogether.

Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and add the sugar in three parts until stiff peaks form. Add the corn starch and continue to beat until the meringue is glossy and can hold a peak. Be careful not to overbeat the egg whites, as overbeaten meringue will be dry and not have a good texture.

Add one-third of the meringue to the yolk mixture and fold gently. Do not stir in a circular motion, as this will break the air bubbles in the meringue.

Pour the yolk mixture back into the remaining meringue and fold gently until fully incorporated.

Pour the batter into a cake pan and tap the pan on the counter to remove any large air bubbles. Bake at 160 degrees Celsius for 60 minutes. After baking, drop the cake pan from a height to release any steam, then immediately invert the cake onto a wire rack to cool completely before removing from the pan.

Enjoy with jam or whipped cream to enhance the flavor.

Perfect for afternoon tea!