Orange Chiffon Cake 🍊 / May All Your Wishes Come True (8-inch)

Choose 2 pretty oranges 🍊 and scrub the surface well with salt.

Slice one orange 🍊 into 3 mm slices, keeping the size and thickness as even as possible. You only need the nice-looking center slices; 4 slices are enough. I was worried some might fall apart during cooking, so I sliced 2 extra. For the other orange 🍊, first grate off some zest with a zester. Then cut it in half and squeeze out the juice. I squeezed it by hand and got 80 g of juice from one orange 🍊.

Add water and caster sugar to a pot, then add the orange slices 🍊. Bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat for about 3 minutes. Don’t cook too long or they’ll fall apart. This step mainly removes the bitterness from the white pith; it also softens the slices a bit so they adhere better to the cake.

Remove the cooked slices and place them on paper towels. Blot both sides dry.

Cut 3 orange slices in half. Place the chiffon mold over an upside-down cup, and arrange the orange slices on the loose bottom of the mold as shown in the picture. The pretty side of the slices should face the mold, the less pretty side should face up.

Use scissors ✂️ to trim off the corners and round the edges to make them look nicer. Don’t skip this step—it makes a huge difference compared to leaving the sharp corners.

Slide the mold up from below to assemble it. Adjust so the orange slices fit snugly against the sides of the mold and the gaps are even. Once done, set it aside and don’t move it.

With all the prep done, let’s make the cake: First separate the egg whites and yolks. Make sure the bowl for the egg whites is completely clean, with no water, oil, or even the tiniest 🤏 bit of yolk, or they won’t whip properly. Set the yolks aside and cover the whites and chill them in the fridge.

Add the corn oil and orange juice 🍊 to a bowl.

Whisk until fully emulsified.

Sift in the cake flour.

Whisk in a “Z” motion until there are no dry spots of flour left.

Add the egg yolks and orange zest 🍊.

Again, mix using a “Z” motion until the batter is thick, smooth, and flows slowly—neither too thick nor too thin. When it falls, it should pile up for 2–3 seconds before leveling out. The yolk batter is now ready; cover and set aside.

Refer to the video for the ideal texture. If it’s too runny, add 5 g more flour; if it’s too thick, add 5 g more orange juice.

Take the egg whites out of the fridge, add the lemon juice and vanilla extract. At the same time, preheat the oven—Bear K85Pro, top and bottom heat at 150°C.

Whip the egg whites, adding the sugar in three additions. When large bubbles form, add the first portion of sugar. When the bubbles become smaller and finer, add the second portion. When you see visible lines in the meringue, add the third portion.

Start at high speed, then switch to medium-low. Whip to stiff peaks—when you lift the whisk, a straight peak with a pointed tip should stand up.

Now combine the meringue with the yolk batter.

Transfer 1/3 of the meringue into the yolk batter bowl.

Fold roughly with a whisk until just combined. Don’t stir in circles, or you’ll deflate the batter easily.

Pour the mixture back into the remaining meringue.

Use a spatula to fold thoroughly until even, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl. Still use folding motions—no circular stirring allowed.

From a height of 30–40 cm, pour the batter into the mold lined with orange slices prepared earlier.

⚠️ Don’t shake the mold, or the slices may shift. Just smooth the surface with a spatula. Then tap the mold lightly twice to release large air bubbles.

Place it into the preheated oven. For the Bear K85Pro, use the lower rack, top and bottom heat at 150°C, and bake for 60–70 minutes. You can turn on the fan (convection) for the last 10–20 minutes. Adjust according to your own oven and however you usually bake Swiss rolls.

Use any remaining batter to “bake” a small cake in a frying pan 🍳. Use the lowest heat, cover with a lid, and cook each side for 3–5 minutes. Soft, fragrant, and sweet—just like pancakes 🥞.

After baking, tap the mold lightly to release hot steam, then immediately invert onto a cooling rack. Let it cool completely for at least 2 hours before unmolding. If the inside is still warm when you unmold, the cake may shrink around the waist.

Unmold by hand. It’s so beautiful—be gentle so you don’t damage the cake.

Beautiful.

Adorable.

Soft and fluffy.

Let’s slice it up 😏. It’s so pretty I almost can’t bear to cut it.

One piece per person.

May all your wishes come ‘orange’ 🍊 (may everything go just as you wish).

A chiffon cake infused with fresh orange juice 🍊 and orange zest, bursting with citrus aroma, light and refreshing, not overly sweet, and absolutely gorgeous to look at. The cake is soft and fluffy, not dry or choking—who could say no to a cake that looks this pretty and tastes this good? 😁

It’s so delicious—go make it now, okay? 😁