Raspberry Chiffon Cake

When the afternoon comes around and you need a little snack, this raspberry orange chiffon, or sponge cake, is the perfect not-too-sweet and not-too-heavy treat, to get you through the day.Makes: one 9” by 9” cake
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 280g / 2 ¼ cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 300g / 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• 6g / 1 tbsp baking powder
• 6 egg yolks
• 8 egg whites
• vinegar for whipping
• 8g / 2 tbsp orange zest
• 175ml / ¾ cup strained orange juice
• 112g / ½ cup Mirage Margarine, melted
• 245g / 2 cups fresh raspberries
• icing sugar for dusting

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
2. In large bowl, sift together the flour, 3/4 cup of the sugar and baking powder.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the 6 egg yolks, orange zest, juice, and melted Mirage margarine.
4. 
5. Pour the dry ingredients over the yolk mixture and mix just until smooth. Set aside.
6. 
7. Splash approximately a tablespoon of vinegar into a large bowl, and wipe it around the bowl with a paper towel. Be sure to clean up any remaining vinegar from the bowl.
8. Now add the egg whites to the vinegar primed bowl and whisk until foamy. Add in the sugar and whisk until stiff, shiny peaks form.
9. 
10. Add half of the stiff egg whites to the bowl of batter, and fold until you only see small amounts of egg white.
11. 
12. Add the remaining egg whites to the batter and fold just until combined.
13. Add in half of the raspberries to the batter and fold them in.
14. Pour the batter into a 9″ by 9″ pan, and top off with the remaining raspberries.
15. Bake until the cake springs back when lightly touched or a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. This should take about 35 minutes.
16. Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to rest until completely cool.
17. Before serving, dust the top of the cake lightly or liberally with icing sugar and you’re ready for an afternoon of tea and coffee with friends and family.
18. Keep this cake for up to 4 days, wrapped in plastic or in an airtight container.

Chef Notes

• Coating the inside of the bowl you’re going to use for whipping the egg whites, will allow you to get a fluffier, firmer stiff peak in less time than normal. The acidity helps to allow the protein in the egg stretch and take on air. It’s the same effect you get from adding in cream of tartar.
• When making a chiffon or any other sponge cake, you don’t want to grease the sides of your pan. The sponge, as it rises, clings to the sides to help gain height and maintain it once it’s removed from the oven. If you grease the pan, you’ll most likely end up with a cake that shrinks once removed from the oven.