Chiffon cake... love&hate (and ate)

My friend Giulia, the same responsible for a lot of my quirks, made me discover the chiffon cake.

Up to that day I knew a cake with this name existed but perhaps because it was always paired with camy cream (that I hate for the grease texture) I made the transfer Camy cream -, chiffon cake -NO.

OMG how could I?!?

Ok, it heavenly. Ok, it's easier than I imagined to find the tin for chiffon cake (here in Rome), a lot less easy to find the right recipe.

First time: awesome, light, fluffy, tasty.

Second time: it imploded...  it blowed and then ruind on iiself.

Third time: done!

Fourth time: imploded... what the heck.... this time with splatter bonus... I had to clean bits of cake all over the oven... with a taste of meringue.

Mmmh.. after going over the shock and depression I wondered if this meringue flavour could mean that there was something wrong when I mixed the egg whites.

On internet I didn't find any help and it aggrevated my depression to know I was the only nitwit in the chiffon cake world. I'm the only one who depreses the cakes?
It's not that I read them "The brother Karamazov"... I don't read them anything, if taht matters. In fact, I'm becoming increasingly superstitous. Yesterday I screamed at DH because He walked in front of the oven and peekd in.
FOOL!

Anymay I went crying over Giulia's shoulder, adding loosing wath self-esteem I still had to the depression and I came to the conclusion that the problem is the density of the unbaked cake.
During one of the failed attempt I was using a hand beater... I didn't work the liquid stuff for the right leght of time. it should not only merge, it should be fluffy.
The solid stuff (sugar, flour etc) should be incorporated a bit at the time,. in order to non became to solid. Then, qhen it is all quite liquid, you can put in the stiff eggwhites. The "raw" cake should be dense and fluffy.
Giulia suggests to spoon it in the the tin, not to puor it. She has a point IMO.

Don't fret if you think it's too liquid, it remains in the tin (that has a removable bottom). obviously it isn'r a brilliant idea to carry it to the oven from the bottom. Put your hand on both sides of the tin please.

Ah, and don't fret if you didn't grease the tin.
First, you don'thave to. It MUST be ungreased.
Second, if you buy the average italian tin, the manufacturer Pentalux, had the BRILLIANT idea to make it in a non-sticky alluminium...
WHY?!?!?!

You have to let the chiffon cake cool uspide down... Mine just crashed on the table like a dead octopus.

In the end, though, it still was fluffy, so if it goes all the way down to the table (not the floor... this would be a problem) just let it cool there. it will be a bit less fluffy but you'll still be able to eat it.
I hope the tin will become more sticky with time.

I used e receipt ginven me by my mother but I think she took it from this page. (italian sorry)

You can customize it in not infinite ways but something can be done changing the water, i.e..
I give you two examples:

Orange: I substituted water with orange jam lightly melted with water (it must be cool), you can use orange juice. I added orange zest to the flour and if you like a bit of alcohol you can add Grand Marnier or Curacao.

Coffee: I used coffee (american one) in place of water and added a part of instant cappuccino to the flour mix. I didn't try instant coffee so I don't know.

Next time I'll try it with coconut and banana.