Ravneet Gill’s Chiffon Cloud Cake

Method

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 170°C/160°C fan/325°F/Gas 5.

Step 2
For the chiffon sponge, separate the egg yolks and whites. Put the egg yolks into a large mixing bowl and the egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer.

Step 3
Add the caster sugar to the egg yolks and using an electric hand whisk, whisk until pale and doubled in size. When the beaters are lifted, a trail of mixture should still be visible.

Step 4
Pour in the vegetable oil and orange blossom extract, then mix to combine.

Step 5
Sift the sponge flour over the egg yolk mixture, and gently fold in.

Step 6
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks. Add the cream of tartar and whisk to combine. With the mixer on medium-low, gradually add the sugar until completely combined and the mixture is thick and glossy.

Step 7
Add 1/3 of the egg white mixture to the egg yolk mixture and beat to combine.

Step 8
Add another 1/3 and gently fold until no lumps of meringue are visible. Fold in the final 1/3 of meringue gently.

Step 9
Transfer ¼ of the mixture to a small bowl and colour white using the white food colouring. This will be the clouds in the chiffon cake.

Step 10
Colour the remaining ¾ blue using the ice blue food colouring.

Step 11
Spoon a few cloud shaped blobs in the base of the tin. Carefully cover with a layer of the blue cake batter.

Step 12
Spoon more white blobs around the sides of the tin and fill in the gaps with the blue. Continue until both coloured cake batters have been used up.

Step 13
Bake for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes reduce the temperature to 170°C/150°C fan/325°F/Gas 4 and bake for a further 15 minutes or until the cake has risen and is firm to the touch.

Step 14
Remove from the oven and immediately turn the tin upside, with the cake still inside. Allow it to cool completely, upside down, before attempting to remove from the tin.

Step 15
To make the meringue rainbow, in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks. In a separate small bowl, mix together the sugars and gradually add to the egg whites, whisking all the time until thick and glossy.

Step 16
Divide the meringue into six different bowls and using the gel food colours, colour each one a different colour, leaving one plain white. Place the meringue colours into separate piping bags and pipe the shape of a rainbow onto a lined baking sheet. Place in the oven alongside the cake to dry out, 25-30 minutes. Once baked, remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 17
To make the orange sauce, melt the butter in the microwave or in a small saucepan.

Step 18
In a small heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, whisk the egg yolks, orange juice and caster sugar. Gradually add the melted butter, whisking all the time, until the mixture is pale, thick and glossy.

Step 19
Transfer the orange sauce to a jug.

Step 20
To assemble, when the cake has cooled, gently ease the cake from the tin, using a small palette knife to run around the sides if needed, and turn out.

Step 21
Add the meringue rainbow to the top of the cake, securing with cocktail stick if needed, then serve alongside the jug of orange sauce.