Jaffa Lamington Chiffon Cake

Mr Lamington, meet Miss Orange Chiffon – fluffy, chocolatey, jaffy, coconutty goodness … and they lived happily ever after.

FEEDS 10–12

ORANGE CHIFFON CAKE

5 eggs, separated + 2 extra egg whites

½ teaspoon cream of tartar

150 g (5½ oz/²/₃ cup) caster (superfine) sugar

80 ml (2½ fl oz/¹/₃ cup) grapeseed oil OR vegetable oil

Finely grated zest of 1 orange

80 ml (2½ fl oz/¹/₃ cup) orange juice

100 ml (3½ fl oz) tinned coconut milk

150 g (5½ oz) plain (all-purpose) flour, sifted

2 teaspoons baking powder, sifted

Pinch of salt

CHOCOLATE ICING

290 g (10¼ oz) icing (confectioners’) sugar mixture

28 g (1 oz) Dutch process cocoa powder

20 g (¾ oz) butter

90 ml (3 fl oz) milk

TO DECORATE

125 g (4½ oz/about 1¹/₃ cups) dried shredded OR desiccated coconut

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F) fan-forced. Have a 25 cm (10 inch) angel food cake tin on standby. Do not grease or use a non-stick tin – for the chiffon to rise properly, sticky sides are exactly what the mixture needs to climb and sustain the impressive height.

To make the orange chiffon cake, first make a meringue. Combine the 7 egg whites and cream of tartar in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk with an electric mixer on high speed until medium peaks form. Add half the caster sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking well between each addition until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks and remaining sugar until pale and thick. Add the grapeseed oil, orange zest and juice, and coconut milk, and whisk until combined. Add the flour, baking powder and salt, and whisk until just smooth.

Spoon one-third of the meringue mixture into the egg yolk mixture, and whisk until combined. Fold in the remaining meringue with a whisk, taking care to get rid of any small pockets of egg white.

Pour the mixture into the angel food cake tin, smooth out the surface and bake for 30–40 minutes, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Immediately invert the cake tin when it comes out of the oven, and allow the cake to cool completely before removing from the tin – about 2 hours. Run a knife around the inner and outer sides of the tin, and you’ll find that the cooled cake will release easily. Next, slide the knife along the bottom of the tin, to free the cake completely.

To make the chocolate icing, combine the icing sugar, cocoa, butter and milk in a heatproof bowl. Sit it over a saucepan filled with 4 cm (1½ inches) simmering water, and whisk until the icing sugar has dissolved. Using a spatula, spread the runny chocolate mixture over the entire cake, then cover with the coconut. This cake will keep well for 3–4 days if stored in an airtight container.

TIP

If the icing starts to seize up, microwave for about 10 seconds, then stir to loosen the mixture.