Method
Prepare
This recipe fits a 17cm tube chiffon pan. Do not grease the pan. Preheat the fan oven to 140°C.
If using frozen egg whites, thaw them completely with no ice crystals remaining. The mixing bowl and whisk must be completely clean and free of oil or water.
Make the yolk batter
Whisk the milk, oil, and salt thoroughly until pale and emulsified, like thin cream.
Add the yolks and vanilla, then mix well. Sift in the cake flour and mix in a zig-zag motion until no dry flour remains.
Whip the meringue
Add lemon juice or white vinegar to the egg whites. Beat on medium speed until foamy, then add the sugar in three additions: at coarse foam, fine foam, and visible ribbon stage.
Whip to a medium-stiff peak with a slight hook. The meringue should be glossy and fine, with a tip that stands but bends gently at the end.
Fold and fill the pan
Fold one third of the meringue into the yolk batter first; mix this portion thoroughly. Pour it back into the remaining meringue and fold until the colour is completely even.
Scrape and fold from the bottom of the bowl 5–8 extra times to prevent heavier batter from sinking. Pour around the tube pan in a circle and tap gently 2–3 times.
Bake and cool
Bake at 140°C fan for 55–65 minutes. It is done when the top and cracks look dry and browned, the surface springs back, and a skewer comes out without wet batter.
Tap the pan once after removing it from the oven, invert immediately, and unmould only after it has cooled completely.
Key Tips
- With fewer yolks, emulsifying the milk and oil is especially important; poor emulsion can create a dense custardy layer at the bottom
- The first one-third meringue addition can be mixed quite thoroughly; slight deflation is safer than uneven batter
- Always scrape from the bottom before filling the pan, where heavy batter tends to settle
- If your oven only has 140°C and 150°C, choose 140°C and bake longer rather than blasting at 150°C
- A dense centre-bottom layer is usually caused by emulsion or folding issues, not just the oven