Unique Sticky and Soft Molasses and Rum Chiffon Cake

This is one of the most unique chiffon cake that I have ever baked...

If you search for the meaning of the word, unique in a dictionary, it means only one of its kind; unlike anything else.

Yup! This chiffon cake is soft and fluffy like all chiffon cakes but is different because of its additional sticky texture, moist and sweet brown sugar taste, aromatic rum fragrance, beautiful molasses aftertaste.

Very nice and I wish that you can picture all these tastes...

Molasses brown sugar and rum chiffon cake

First, I need to separate the egg yolks from the whites and I'm using my Tovolo Yolk Out to do this job.
See here for more details on how to use this tool.

Then, I added these into the egg yolk mixture.

Not forgetting the rum!

This step yields a thick batter.

Due to the thick egg yolk mixture, I have to fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture thoroughly first before folding in the rest of the egg white mixture.

Prepare to be allured by the smell of baking this cake :)

After baking, invert the cake immediately and allow it to cool completely in its pan.

It looks beautiful...

... and it tastes beautiful too!

Notice that there is no baking powder, baking soda or cream of tartar used to bake this cake? Amazingly, this cake is so soft and moist and fluffy!

Here's the recipe that is mostly adapted and translated from the book Chiffon Cake Book by Junko Fukuda (mine is the Chinese version).

Note: The original recipe makes one 17 cm chiffon cake and I have scaled it up to bake one 20 cm chiffon cake.

Makes one 20 cm chiffon cake

For the cake:
75g egg yolk* (about 4-5 extra large egg yolks)
40g dark brown sugar or dark muscovado sugar
1/4 cup (60ml) oil
3 tbsp (45ml) water
90g blackstrap molasses
3 tbsp (45ml) rum
135g cake flour
225g egg white* (about 6-7 extra large egg whites)
100g caster sugar**

*It is important to weigh the egg yolks and egg whites.
** This is a reduced amount. Please do not reduce this amount further as the sweetness of this cake is just right.

Preheat oven to 170°C or 330ºF or 150°C fan forced.

Using a hand whisk, combine egg yolks, brown sugar, oil, water, molasses and rum in a large bowl.

Sift cake flour into the egg yolk mixture and mix until combined with no lumps.

Using an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium low speed for about 2-3 mins until foamy. Increase the mixer speed to medium. While beating, add caster sugar gradually and continue to beat until stiff peaks form.

Using a spatula or spoon, fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the flour mixture gently until the mixture is well combined. Then fold in the rest of the egg whites in 2-3 batches. Mix gently and thoroughly making sure that the batter is well combined.

Pour the mixture into an ungreased chiffon cake pan. Tap the pan a few times on the kitchen countertop to release the air bubbles.

Bake for 50 mins. After the first 30 mins of baking, cover the top of cake loosely with a foil and continue to bake with the foil for another 20 mins or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

After baking, invert the cake immediately and allow it to cool completely before removing it from the pan. To unmould the cake from the pan, use a thin rubber knife or spatula to run around the cake.

Transfer cake onto a serving plate. Slice and serve.

Happy Baking
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