Meyer Lemon Chiffon Cake

Meyer Lemon Chiffon Cake

from justonecookbook.com
50 min
1 servings

Brighten your day with this light and airy Meyer Lemon Chiffon Cake that‘s bursting with a sweet citrus smell. Reminiscent of my favorite Japanese yuzu, Meyer lemons have an incredibly refreshing fragrance and tart sweetness that‘s perfect for desserts. Top this delicate Japanese cake with powdered sugar or my Meyer Lemon Icing Glaze.

Ingredients

  • 3 large eggs (50 g each w/o shell) ((yolks and whites separated))
  • 85 g sugar ((½ cup minus 1 Tbsp; divided into thirds))
  • 40 ml neutral oil ((3 Tbsp minus 1 tsp))
  • 2 Meyer lemons ((for the zest and ¼ cup (60 ml) of juice))
  • 75 g cake flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 2 Tbsp confectioners’ sugar ((for dusting on the cake; optional))
  • ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
  • ½ Meyer lemon ((for 1 Tbsp juice))

Directions

  1. 1

    Gather all the ingredients. I highly encourage you to use metric measurements using a kitchen scale for this recipe. Click on the “Metric“ button at the top of the recipe to convert the ingredient measurements to metric. If you‘re using a cup measurement, please follow the “fluff and sprinkle“ method: Fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle the flour into your measuring cup, and level it off. Otherwise, you may scoop more flour than you need.

  2. 2

    Preheat the oven to 340ºF (170ºC). For a convection oven, reduce cooking temperature by 25ºF (15ºC). Separate the egg yolks and egg whites of 3 large eggs (50 g each w/o shell), and keep the whites in a small bowl or a stand mixer bowl. Refrigerate or freeze the mixer bowl and the egg whites for 15 minutes until cold. (It‘s okay if the egg whites are partially frozen). Tip: In Japan, we chill the egg whites to make smooth, fine-textured meringue and do not use cream of tartar.

  3. 3

    Take out the egg whites and the mixing bowl from the refrigerator or freezer. Set the bowl on the stand mixer with a whisk attachment (I used the KitchenAid Professional Series). Start whipping the egg whites on medium-low speed (Speed 4) until the egg whites are bubbly, opaque, and foamy. Add another one-third of the remaining sugar and continue whisking.

  4. 4

    Using a spatula or hand whisk, add one-third of the meringue into the batter. Mix well by hand until it‘s homogeneous.

  5. 5

    Prepare an ungreased 17-cm (7-inch) chiffon cake pan. From 6–8 inches high, pour the batter into the pan at just one spot to prevent air pockets from forming.

  6. 6

    Dust the top of the cake with 2 Tbsp confectioners’ sugar (optional), if you‘d like. Alternatively, you can top the cake with Meyer Lemon Icing Glaze (optional). To make the glaze, place ½ cup confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl and stir in the juice of ½ Meyer lemon. The glaze should be thick, but pourable. Add more sugar or Meyer lemon juice as necessary to achieve the desired consistency. Drizzle over the cake using a spoon. Slice and enjoy!

  7. 7

    I strongly recommend consuming the cake sooner for the best freshness. However, you can keep the cake covered on a plate or stand at room temperature in a cooler place for 1–2 days. To keep it longer, wrap individual slices in plastic wrap or put in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 3 days or in the freezer for 2 weeks.