Light and Fluffy Raspberry Chiffon Cake Recipe

Raspberry Jam

• 12 oz raspberries (fresh or frozen)
• ¾ cup granulated sugar (150 g)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste

Pastry Cream

• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup minus 1 tbsp granulated sugar (about 90 g)
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 4 egg yolks + 1 whole egg

Cake

• ¾ cup cake flour
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 egg
• ⅓ cup water
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 egg whites
• ¼ tsp cream of tartar
• ¼ cup sugar (for meringue)

Whipped Cream

• 3 cups heavy cream, chilled
• 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
• 2 tbsp sugar

Raspberries for garnish

Raspberry Jam

1. Combine raspberries, sugar, lemon juice and zest, salt, and vanilla paste in a pot. Toss to coat and let macerate for 30 minutes.
2. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until the jam reaches 220–225°F (105–107°C).
3. Transfer to a container, cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until set.

Pastry Cream

1. Prepare a cooling bowl with a fine-mesh sieve/strainer set on top.
2. Whisk together the egg yolks, whole egg, flour, and sugar until smooth; set aside.
3. In a saucepan heat the milk with the vanilla bean paste and salt over medium-high until just below boiling, stirring occasionally.
4. Temper the egg mixture by slowly adding about 1/3 of the hot milk while whisking constantly. Return the tempered egg mixture to the remaining milk and cook over medium heat, whisking, until the mixture thickens to the consistency of lightly whipped cream and just comes to a boil. Do not overcook.
5. Immediately strain the custard through the sieve into the prepared bowl to stop cooking. Stir occasionally and cool for 10 minutes.
6. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pastry cream to prevent a skin, then refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour until chilled.

Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Sift together cake flour, ⅓ cup sugar, salt, and baking powder into a medium bowl.
3. Add the egg, water, and oil to the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth.
4. In a separate clean bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. With the mixer running, slowly add the remaining ¼ cup sugar and continue to whip to meringue.
5. Gently fold the meringue into the batter until just combined. Pour into an ungreased 9-inch cake pan—do not line or grease the pan, as chiffon must cling to the sides while cooling.
6. Bake 30–40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the top is golden. Immediately invert the pan onto a cooling rack and let cool completely.

Assembly

1. Whip the chilled heavy cream with vanilla bean paste and sugar to medium peaks. Reserve 1 cup of this whipped cream to fold into the chilled pastry cream; the remainder will frost the cake.
2. Fold 1 cup of whipped cream into the chilled pastry cream until smooth and lighter in texture.
3. Carefully slice the cooled chiffon cake into four even layers.
4. On the bottom layer, spread about 1/3 of the raspberry jam in an even layer, then spread 1/3 of the pastry cream mixture. Repeat for the next two layers, finishing with the top layer of cake.
5. Frost the assembled cake with the remaining whipped cream and decorate with fresh raspberries. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours to set before serving.