Man it’s been a doozy of a week getting back to normal after so much travel this month. BUT, I couldn’t let Mother’s Day go unnoted, so today we’re celebrating my mom and yours with this white chocolate raspberry olive oil chiffon cake.
Truth be told, it’s been a while since I’ve made any sort of cake, so I was itching to get back into the bakehouse with this one.And white chocolate and raspberry? You can’t go wrong at all (see these cookies– a big HB fan favorite).
Now, 90% of the time when I make a cake it’s a vanilla cake. What can I say, it’s my absolute fave, and I opt for either a 1-2-3-4 or a Victoria’s sponge. Classic, top to bottom. You’ve seen them both before.
For this one though, I had a lighter deal pictured. Spring and all, and with the frosting I planned being a bit on the heavy side, I wanted something lighter to sandwich it all together.
How about a chiffon? Have I ever even made one? I don’t think so – let’s go!
What is a chiffon cake?
Chiffon cake is essentially a sponge cake, but rather than a butter base, they are always made with oil. Further, they rely on beaten egg whites for lift rather than traditional baking soda or powder. Both of these things together give chiffon cakes a characteristic light and soft texture.
Can I use olive oil in a chiffon cake?
You’re seeing it here, folks! Not only did I use olive oil, I used an orange infused olive oil because 1) that’s my jam and 2) I thought the subtle hint of citrus would be just fab with the white chocolate and raspberry. The base for this recipe comes from the good folks at love & olive oil.
What is the difference between cake flour and all-purpose flour?
Long story short- the protein content. Cake flour has a lower protein content than regular all-purpose flour. What does this mean? The lower protein content in cake flour means it has less gluten-forming potential, making it better to use in cakes. For more learning, King Arthur tells it like it is.
What do I need to make this white chocolate raspberry olive oil chiffon cake?
- Olive oil. You can certainly use regular olive oil, or vegetable oil if you don’t want to worry about the more savory flavor seeping in. I used this orange infused olive oil, when lends itself to a sweeter vibe.
- Eggs (plus cream of tartar). This is our main leavening agent. It’s giving the cake it’s lightness and lift. Separate them, then whip those whites. The cream of tartar makes these smooth and glossy.
- Sugar, cake flour, vanilla and baking soda. It is a cake, after all.
- Raspberry jam, for the filling.
- White chocolate chips
- Heavy whipping cream
- Freeze-dried raspberries. Wait, what? I wanted to get the raspberry flavor throughout the frosting without the extra liquid that comes from fresh raspberries. The powdered, dried raspberries blended in the frosting beautifully and added a fun, sort of pink speckled color to the whole thing. Look at it! I’m smitten.
This cake is a three layer, 6” round. If you want to make this bigger (ie, 9”), just double it.
Let’s eat!
White Chocolate Raspberry Olive Oil Chiffon Cake
Ingredients
For the cake
- 4 large eggs
- ⅓ cup orange infused olive oil
- 1 TB water
- ¼ t cream of tartar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 cup cake flour sifted
- ⅛ tsp baking soda
- ⅛ tsp salt
For the filling/frosting
- ½ cup raspberry jam
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 6 ounces white chocolate chips
- 2 cups freeze dried raspberries, blitzed into powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line the bottoms of three 6-inch-round cake pans with parchment paper. Do not grease the sides!
- In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and 1/2 cup of the sugar until pale. Add the olive oil, vanilla and water and mix until combined.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the egg whites with the cream of tartar on medium speed until light and frothy. Add 1/4 cup of the sugar and continue to beat on high until stiff peaks form.
- To the egg yolk mixture, add the flour, baking soda and salt and mix gently to combine and create a paste. Add 1/4 of the egg whites and fold in to lighten the batter. Fold in the remaining egg whites, little by little, until evenly incorporated. Divide evenly among pans.
- Bake 15-18 minutes until a cake tester inserted near the center comes out clean. Transfer to wire racks and let cool completely. Once cool, run a knife around the cakes to release, then invert onto wire racks.
- While the cakes cool, make the frosting. Melt the white chocolate in a microwave until smooth. Do not overheat- heat little by little, stirring vigorously every instance you take it out of the microwave to avoid heating as much as possible. Set aside and whip the cream immediately.
- To the bowl of a stand mixer, add the whipping cream. Beat until soft peaks form. Add the white chocolate slowly and beat on high until well combined and the frosting has some stiffness to it. Fold in the powdered, dried raspberries completely.
- Assemble the cake by leveling each cake layer with a serrated knife (if not level already). To the bottom layer, add 1/4 of the frosting. Top with 1/2 of the jam. Repeat with the next layer. To the final layer, use the remaining frosting to cover the cake completely. Sprinkle with remaining raspberry powder, if you desire, for decoration.