Soft, fluffy, and spongey chiffon cake with a sweet and savory note is a great twist to a traditional chiffon cake. If you enjoy a sweet and savory combination in a cake or dessert, you will enjoy this salted egg yolk chiffon cake.
Get the eggs and milk out from the fridge 30 minutes before you plan to make the cake. Alternatively, you can fill up a bowl with warm water (NOT hot water, you don't want to cook the eggs). It should feel comfortably warm if you put your hand in the water. Put the eggs in there for about 5-10 minutes. This will bring the eggs to room temperature
Prepare the cake batter:
Steam the salted egg yolks for 10 minutes and then mash with a fork until they are fine and smooth. Set aside to let it cools down
Preheat oven at 330 F (165 C). My oven is a conventional oven with bottom heat. If you have a convection oven, I suggest lowering the temperature by 25 F (15 C). Mix egg yolks, sugar, oil, milk, and mashed salted egg yolks until combined. Sift in the flour, baking powder,and salt into the egg mixture and stir until combine and smooth. Set aside
Prepare the meringue:
Put the egg whites in a grease-free mixing bowl or stand mixer bowl. Whip over medium speed until frothy, then add the acid and whip again for another minute. Add the sugar gradually in 3 batches and increase the speed to high and whip until the egg whites just reach a stiff peak. You can always stop halfway to check. The meringue should hold its shape if you turn it upside down and has a slight bend on the tip that doesn't move. Stop beating once you reach this stage
Cake batter + meringue:
Fold in 1/3 of the meringue into the cake batter. You can use a rubber spatula or a wire whisk to fold. I actually prefer to use wire whisk lately. Swipe down and fold over to combine the meringue with the cake batter. Once incorporated, continue with the next 1/3 and so on. You want to work gently but efficiently. Don't overmix that you deflate most of the air in the meringue. You shouldn't see any more white meringue in the cake batter
Baking:
Pour the cake batter into an UNGREASED chiffon cake pan. Smooth the surface with a rubber spatula. Tap the cake pan on the counter 3-4 times. I use a bamboo skewer and run through the batter to pop air bubbles inside
Put at the middle rack inside the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes for 7-inch cake and about 50 minutes for 8 inch cake, then lower temperature to 300 F (150 C) and bake for 5-10 minutes or until tester comes out clean
Cooling down:
Immediately drop the cake pan from about 10 cm height on the counter to minimize shrinkage about 2-3 times and invert the tube pan upside down to let it cools down completely in this position
Once it has cooled down completely, use an offset spatula to run through the edge and the outer center of the tube to help release the cake. Gently push the base to lift the cake out. Use the offset spatula again to run through the base of the pan and then carefully release the cake onto a serving platter
Notes
Recipe adjustment for different tube size:
For 6 inch tube: use 2 eggs and multiply 0.4 the rest of the ingredients. Bake for 35-40 minutes , then lower temperature to 300 F (150 C) for 5-10 minutes
For 9 inch tube: use the same recipe with 8-inch tube pan recipe (the one I posted on the recipe card)
For 10 inch tube: use 8 eggs and multiply 1.6 the rest of the ingredients. Bake for 50-55 minutes, then lower temperature to 300 F (150 C) for 10-15 minutes