Banana Chiffon Cake

As many of my friends do, I like to bake banana cakes as a good way of getting rid of ripe bananas, and treating my family with some good desserts without wasting anything. Amongst all kinds of cakes, I like the light, fluffy chiffon cakes the most. The texture of this banana chiffon cake is a bit like the kind of Japanese cake, different from this one. Even though I eat half of this cake, my stomach still can have room for a big meal afterwards. The Chinese translation of “chiffon” is “戚風” that says it all. The cake is really light as “wind” literally. Not only is this banana chiffon cake so easy, and quick to bake, but also do I love the banana fragrance coming out from the hot oven while baking it in this cool weather.

Banana Chiffon Cake Recipe (Printable recipe)
By Christine’s Recipes
Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 40 mins
Yield: Prepare a 8inch (20cm) round cake mould, removable base preferred

Ingredients of batter:

• 80 gm cake flour
• 3 egg yolks
• 14 gm caster sugar
• 35 gm vegetable oil
• 45 gm milk
• ⅛ tsp salt
• 2 ripe bananas, about 240 gm

Ingredients of egg whites:

• 4 egg whites
• 40 gm caster sugar
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 165C (330F). Use a small food processor to process the bananas into paste. Set aside.
2. Mix the egg yolks with 14 grams of sugar until smooth. Add oil, milk and mashed bananas. Combine very well. Sift in cake flour, incorporate all ingredients well until you get a smooth batter.
3. Use an electric mixer to beat egg whites first for a while until bubbles form. Add cream of tartar. Add one third of the 40 grams of sugar at a time. Combine well between the adds, until stiff peaks form. (Please refer to this video, showing how to beat egg whites, that I uploaded on youtube.)
4. Fold in the egg whites into the batter. Add one third of egg whites at a time in order to easily incorporate the egg whites (Also, here’s a video of showing how to fold-in the egg whites).
5. Transfer the batter into the cake mould that shouldn’t be non-stick or greased. (The mould you use is very important to get the best result. It helps the cake avoid from shrinking too much after removing from the oven, once the temperature drops.) Pop in the preheated oven and bake for 55 to 60 minutes. Test it by an inserted needle coming out clean. Remove from oven and immediately revert the cake mould upside down on a wire rack. Let it cool completely. Carefully remove from the cake mould. Enjoy!