One of the trickier parts of creating sponge and chiffon cakes is in the creation of the air bubbles needed to help make these cakes light and airy. For these cakes to have the kind of texture they are supposed to have, care must be taken in the handling of the eggs needed for such recipes. Aside from this, you also need to know in which order ingredients are added in as well as how these are incorporated into the mixture for you to have the perfect cakes you are aiming for.
To help you create the best possible sponge and chiffon cakes you can, here are some helpful tips:
Overmixing is a big no-no when creating the batters for these cakes. When incorporating any of the ingredients, particularly when the beaten egg whites are already in the mix, slow and deliberate folding motions are required. Do not overfold or overmix since this will pop the bubbles in the frothy mixture, which will result in a flat cake.
While some people believe that you cannot overbeat egg whites, a cake that falls will tell you otherwise. The right consistency of beaten egg whites for both sponge and chiffon cakes are supposed to be stiff but not dry. This means that the egg whites can hold a soft peak and have a rather shiny or glossy look to it. Egg whites that are under or over this particular threshold will result in imperfect cakes.
If your chiffon cake has uneven yellow streaks, this means you did not add the egg yolks into it properly. You should add your egg yolks into the oil in a well that is made in the middle of the dry ingredients.
For sponge cakes to have the kind of consistency that they should have, egg yolks should also be beaten properly before being added to the batter. The egg yolks that you add to your mix should have a lemony color and should be thick and smooth before it is incorporated into your batter. Keep a close eye on your egg yolks while you are beating them in order to ascertain when this stage has been reached.
Sponge cakes should always be accompanied by flavored syrup since these are usually dry and light. Syrups that are citrusy, such as lemon or orange, or fruity such as strawberry or blueberry, will make your sponge cakes shine.
