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Tropical Coconut Chiffon Cake




Source of Recipe


Mai


Recipe Introduction


This light and airy cake isn’t super-sweet, thus making it the perfect foil for its luscious whipped cream and sweet fruit filling. Mangoes are pretty much available year-round now, as is fresh pineapple; in fact, both of these fruits have been on sale lately at our local markets here.

Though this confection contains coconut in three different guises—milk, flavoring and the actual fruit—some taste-testers thought the coconut flavor could be even more pronounced. If you’re a real coconut lover, increase the coconut flavoring a bit.

Chiffon cakes should be baked in either a tube or angel food pan and, like angel food cake, they should be cooled upside-down (inverted atop a long-necked bottle is the usual method), in order to retain their full height. Chiffon cakes freeze well, and are a good base for Baked Alaska, or for filled cakes that need to be served cold. Unlike butter- or shortening-based cakes, an oil-based chiffon cake will retain its soft texture in the fridge.




List of Ingredients




CAKE

14-ounce can coconut milk (not low-fat)
6 eggs, separated
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar or 1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 1/2 cups (11 3/4 ounces) Baker’s Special sugar or granulated sugar, divided
2 1/2 cups (12 ounces) Queen Guinevere Cake Flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (2 ounces) vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/8 teaspoon coconut flavor oil or 1 1/2 teaspoons coconut extract*
1/2 cup (2 ounces) toasted or unsweetened coconut** (plus 2 tablespoons to prepare the pan)

*The coconut flavor oil we sell in our Baker’s Catalogue is much stronger than a typical supermarket-type coconut flavor or extract, thus the great range in amounts between the two.
**We prefer to use toasted here, as the flavor is much richer.

FILLING

1/4 cup (2 ounces) water (or 1/4 cup juice from the drained pineapple)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 drop coconut flavor oil or 1/4 teaspoon coconut extract
1 package (a scant 1 tablespoon, 1/4 ounce) unflavored gelatin
1 pint (16 ounces) heavy cream
1/4 cup Baker’s Special sugar or granulated sugar
3 cups (about 1 1/2 pounds to start) peeled fruit, diced medium to fine; papayas, mangoes, peaches, pineapple (or a 15-ounce can of crushed pineapple) are all good choices.*

*If you use canned pineapple, drain it and reserve 1/4 cup of the liquid.



Recipe



CAKE: Place the coconut milk in a small saucepan. Bring it to a simmer, and cook until it’s reduced by about one-third, to yield 1 cup. This will take about 20 minutes. Remove it from the heat, and set it aside to cool.

Prepare a 10-inch tube or angel food pan by greasing it lightly and sprinkling it with 2 tablespoons of coconut.

Separate the eggs carefully; even a small amount of yolk in the whites may prevent them from beating up properly. In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar or lemon juice until foamy. Gradually add 3/4 cup of the sugar, and continue beating until stiff and glossy. Set the whites aside.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set the mixture aside. In a larger bowl, beat the remaining 3/4 cup sugar with the egg yolks, oil and flavorings until pale yellow. Fold in the dry ingredients alternately with the thickened, cooled coconut milk and beat until well blended (about 2 minutes at medium speed on a stand mixer, or longer with a hand mixer). Gently fold in about half the whipped egg whites, using a wire whip or rubber spatula. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl so everything is well combined. Fold in the remaining egg whites, and the 1/2 cup coconut. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

BAKING: Bake the cake in a preheated 325°F oven for 40 minutes, then increase the heat to 350°F and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, for a total baking time of 50 to 55 minutes. The cake will be done when a finger gently pressed into the top doesn't leave a print; you’ll be able to hear a crackling sound, if you listen carefully. Cool the cake upside down (by up-ending it on a long-necked bottle) for 30 minutes. Use a thin, flexible knife to loosen the sides and middle of the cake, and remove it from the pan.

FILLING: Place the water (or juice) and flavorings in a small heatproof cup. Sprinkle with the gelatin, and let the gelatin soften for about 5 minutes. Use a microwave to melt the gelatin (or transfer the contents of the cup to a small saucepan, and heat over low heat). Stir to be sure the mixture is smooth, and set it aside to cool for about 10 minutes, until it’s at room temperature.

Beat the heavy cream and sugar just until the mixture begins to thicken, but doesn’t yet hold a peak. Add the gelatin mixture while beating on slow speed. Beat just until the whipped cream will hold a peak, then fold in the diced fruit. (We used a combination of mangoes and peaches, which was very tasty.)

ASSEMBLY: Cut the cake into three horizontal 1-inch layers. Spread one-third of the filling atop each layer, stacking the layers; yes, there’ll be a layer of filling on the top, upon which it’s nice to sprinkle some extra coconut. Refrigerate the cake for 1 hour or so before serving, then use a serrated edge knife for easiest slicing.