Sunday 27 April 2014

Chocolate Orange Marbled Chiffon Cake


This was what was left of my stash of oranges in the fridge :



Two badly scarred and naked oranges.
Thanks to the LTU-Orange event, never have I ploughed through a bag of oranges with such gusto. Yesterday was a Saturday with water supply and I had planned on getting some housekeeping done. Did I tell you that I have a thing for housekeeping? I find mopping the floor very therapeutic.



My usual routine is to use the vacuum cleaner to suck up all the dirt from the floor and then mop the floor twice. Once with just water and then again with disinfectant. A squeaky clean floor is a must for me and you can imagine how miserable I am when there is no water on Saturdays. But surely you can clean on other days, you say. How about Sunday? No. I can only clean my house on Saturday. Why? Because it has to be Saturday and no other day. And the cleaning must be done between 5:00am and 9:00am. If anything disrupts my schedule, I get upset. You see, I have a little bit of OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). 



How bad is my OCD? I don't think it is clinical but it is significant enough to be noticed. For example, I have to wash the dishes myself after a dinner party even when my guests offer to help. No, no, no, thank you, I will wash all the plates, utensils and whatever else myself because only then can I be sure that everything is properly cleaned. And I can ensure what goes where because I get upset when people put the plates or mugs at the wrong draining racks. But no one is complaining because they don't have to do the dishes :)



And before I go to bed, I have to tap the fridge and freezer door at least 5 times to make sure that they are properly closed. And don't forget the gas knob. I turn the knob off (although it is already off) at least 5 times to make sure that it is really turned off. Only then can I sleep peacefully. So, you think I am crazy? I'll talk to you about crazy when I tell you about my journey into depression in my next post.


Well, I sure wasn't depressed yesterday. I was totally sane and at peace. I vacuumed, mopped, cleaned the bathroom, did the laundry, cooked and baked this nice chiffon cake. And guess what? My water supply was scheduled to be off today and tomorrow but the tap is still flowing. Has the water rationing been called off? I certainly hope so. Looks like there will be many more happy weekends to come :)











Chocolate Orange Marbled Chiffon Cake
Recipe source : Phong Hong

Mixture A :
- 5 egg yolks
- 120 ml fresh orange juice
- zest from 2 oranges
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 85ml vegetable oil 
- 70g fine sugar
- 150g superfine flour 
- 1 tsp baking powder (optional)

Mixture B :
- 5 egg whites
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
- 70g sugar 

Mixture C :
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder mixed with 2 tbsp hot water to form a paste


Method :
1. Preheat oven to 160C

For Mixture A :
1. Whisk egg yolks with sugar to mix well.
2. Add orange juice, orange zest and vegetable oil.
3. Sift flour and baking powder into the mixture and mix until a smooth batter forms.

For Mixture B :
1. Add cream of tartar into the egg whites and beat until foamy.
2. Add sugar gradually and beat until stiff peaks.

Pour Mixture A into Mixture B and fold the two batters to ensure that they are evenly mixed. 

Divide batter into two equal portions. Add cocoa paste into one portion and gently fold to mix evenly.

Alternate the two batters into a chiffon pan until all batter is used up. Use a spatula or chopstick to swirl the batter to make marbled pattern.

Bake for 45 minutes and when done, remove from oven and invert pan. Cool completely before removing from pan.



Photobucket

This post is linked to the event, Little Thumbs Up organised by Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids and Doreen of My Little Favourite DIY and hosted by Ann of Anncoo Journal.

53 comments:

  1. I keep talking about wanting to try to bake but I never got down to it. :(

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    1. Ah! Leave that to your daughter hee..hee,,

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  2. Hi Phong Hong, The marble effect on your chiffon cake looks very pretty. Good to go with a cup of tea too :)
    Thank you for linking to LTU :)

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    1. Thank you, Ann! I enjoy playing with the batter and seeing what happens. It's fun!

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  3. Hi Phong Hong, Love the marble effect on your chiffon cake!

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  4. oh, lovely!! first it's the very nice pattern of the cake, ok, know reading comments above from other bloggers, that is called marble effect.. and again, great combination of chocolate and orange, always love this.. i guess a little orangy and zesty and citrus makes the taste less "jelak" and so i can eat one whole cake instead of just one!! muahahaha~~ :D

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    1. Hi SK! Chiffon cake is one of those cakes where you can eat many, many pieces because it is so light and full of air. And I believe you when you say you can eat the whole cake. I think I can too :)

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  5. Hi Phong Hong, very nice and natural marble effect, nice cake.

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    1. Thank you, Karen! It reminds me of art lessons in school :)

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  6. Lovely swirls in your marble cake Phong Hong, I think chocolate and orange go very well together too! Oh hope the water rationing will stop soon with all the heavy rain of late:)

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    1. Hi Jeannie! Yay, no more water rationing. Hope it stays that way.

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  7. Hi Phong Hong...

    I think we are in the same club. But I am just the member where else you are the president of the club! Hahahaha.... One thing that gets to me when mopping or sweeping is when people simply walk here and there on the floor where I am doing my work! Really really feel like turning into Incredible Hulk!

    Don't get too happy about the water still flowing okay. I had the same situation last week. Water is supposed to stop on Monday and Tuesday but it didn't stop. I thought our misery is over and thaaa dhaaaa.. it stopped on Friday! Hahaha...

    And oh, your chiffon looks really inviting! Yummy yummy!

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    1. hah..hah...MamaFami, you are my Vice President! I also don't like people walking around when I mop the floor. My mum is the same too. Geram!

      Looks like the water rationing has stopped and I hope permanently!

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  8. This water rationing thing is quite annoying, isn't it? Women hah, have to work outside, come back home have tones of workload to follow up too, really not easy hoh. Speaking of that, I still wish to be a woman again next life, hahaha! Early morning already see this orange-chocolate chiffon cake, yum yum yum, can pass a slice here for my morning tea?

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    1. Hi Jessie! In my next life I want to be a man. Muahahaha!!!

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  9. OMG, I love your post today, I think I will even love your next post, and I'm waiting for it..
    I think we really make a pair..

    I wash the toilet everyday.. Yes, everyday.. I scrub and rub the toilet everyday, when I'm showering..

    I vacumn the house everyday.. After work.. Yes, everyday..

    I change bedsheets every Wednesday.. Why Wednesday? No reason. It has to be Wednesday. Don't ask.

    I don't mop the floor twice though.. Just once, with detergent..

    About washing the dishes? Yep, I want to wash it myself too! I HATE it when guests say they want to help. Coz when they wash the plates, the water will spill on the floor, yes? Their feet will be stepping on the water over and over again, and then, they step out to the living room, eeewwwwww !! Black footprints everywhere.. Get the gist? When there are guests, I hope they will just leave everything on the table, and I'll clean up myself, very "chor-teng" when they offer to help, no thank you. "Yuet pong yuet mong" (semakin tolong semakin messy)..

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    1. Wait, I didn't comment anything on your orange marble cake.. One look at it, I know it's very nice already, I can finish the whole thing lah, so light & fluffy.. Dunk in Milo and it's all gone in 5 minutes!

      I was not depressed last weekend, just for your update. But I know it will come hit me again, dunno when only..

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    2. Hey, Louiz! Wow, your OCD more fierce than mine. But looking at it positively, you have a clean toilet, clean house, clean sheets and that is a good thing! And I have to agree with you on the washing plates thing. High 5! Piak! Hope you are happy today :)

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  10. “The cleaning must be done between 5:00am and 9:00am.
    vacuum cleaner to suck up all the dirt , mopped the floor twice....,"
    I can imagine how clean and cosy is your house,base on your discipline of cleaning your house weekly even you feel tiring after 5 days work. Thumbs up for you !

    Nice marble chiffon you have !

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    1. Hi Aunty Young! Only the floor clean hee..hee...the coffee table and kitchen table are full of things :)

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  11. Good morning! I hope taps are still flowing? If it is, it's a good sign that rationing has been called off for your area, mine is back to normal already :) Light and fluffy chiffon with pretty swirls, something always welcomed in my home. Nah, i don't think you are crazy since you are well aware of your routine, maybe you need to relax a bit :)

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    1. Good morning! Yes, I still have water and water rationing has been called off. What a great relief!

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  12. Beautiful chiffon cake and lovely combination! I haven't had a chiffon cake in a while, too lazy to do the separate method. :P

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    1. Thank you! Yes, I also dread the egg separation and I only do it when I am in the right mood :)

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  13. Phong Hong, the tuiles can stay crispy for days till you finish them. Some of my tuiles became stale after finish taking the photos & what I did was sent back to the oven & fan-baked for another few minutes, all came out all crispy again & lasted for another few days till we finish eating them.

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    1. Jessie, thank you for telling me! In that case, I don't have to worry about them going soft. Will bake tuiles very soon!

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  14. Oh I also hope the water rationing ends soon. With all this rain, you would think the dams are getting filled up, huh. Btw cake looks great!

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    1. Hi Yen! Yipee it has ended! Hope it stays that way.

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  15. When I retire, I want to spend any of my free time baking... or should I go for baking classes first? LOL... I love desserts, cakes... anything sweet and nice, I am in! Love your chiffon cake... the "design" looks so tempting that I wish I could just take a slice from the picture... hahahaa...

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    1. Hi reanna claire! Thank you for your compliments and you bet when I go into retirement, I will go for baking classes hah..hah...

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  16. Hi Phong Hong, nothing wrong with you. Me too like that. Your chiffon looks so soft, moist and spongy. U know, I have failed once when baking orange marbled chiffon cos' I forgot to tap the pan before baking. Maybe I shd try this recipe...

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    1. Hi Kimmy! hah..hah..there are people like me, so nice :) Do try the chiffon cake. My problem is over mixing when doing the chocolate part. That's why my cake did not rise very high.

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  17. Well, I did my cleaning up only on Saturday/ Sunday because the rest of the time I will be too tired to do all my housework...I think sometimes we are just fussy instead of OCD...

    Nice cake, I like the "marble" shape, I have never do something like that before...

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    1. Hi Jozelyn! I am fussy but also there is an element of compulsion. It can drive people crazy hah..hah...

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  18. Hi PH, you sure have been baking a lot lately, living up to your blog name :))) love orange bakes, makes it so fragrant and fresh. Btw, nothing wrong with mopping at dawn. A little bit of OCD is good to maintain a clean house heehee.

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    1. Hi Esther! Yes, been baking quite a bit since the water rationing started hee..hee..

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  19. Hi Phong Hong,

    I have no sympathy to these ugly looking oranges... ha ha ha!!! I don't care as long as your orange marble chiffon cake is fluffy and delicious!!! ha ha ha!!!

    Zoe

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    1. Hi Zoe! Oh, you are so mean to the oranges hee..hee...I need to buy some more...

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  20. Orange and chocolate, always kawan baik, hehehe..

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    1. Hi Sonia! Ya, they are best friends :)

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  21. Hi Phong Hong,
    Naked oranges? haha! It's nice to see your oranges in a marble cake. Your cake looks wonderful with lovely moist texture.
    Read today that the water rationing will back to normal tomorrow. But I'm not taking any chances just as yet, will store at least for another day....you know how efficient they are!

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    1. Hi Joyce! I hung on to my tubs of water and today I used it to water my very thirsty plants. Hope that it stays this way and that there are no nasty surprises.

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  22. The texture of your chiffon cake is lovely and I love the perfect swirls. I really do enjoy all orange cakes,

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    1. Hi Mich! Me too, orange imparts such a lovely scent and flavour!

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  23. Hi Phong Hong, wah.... your marble cake look so beautiful. And I can smell the fragrant scent from here ley.Texture look so good.

    Have a wonderful week ahead.

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    1. Hi Amelia! Thank you, thank you! Your imagination is going wild hee..hee...

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  24. Hello Phong Hong, I tried your zebra cotton cheese the second time, got myself very nice and orderly stripes, now this marble orange chiffon will be my next cake, will let u know the outcome!! Thks for sharing!!

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    1. Hi Red Velvet! Glad to hear that your zebra cake turned out great! I am sure you will do well with this chiffon cake too :)

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  25. Hello! I baked d marble orange chocolate chiffon cake and it tasted soft & yummy, The natural tangy orange aroma & cocoa make a good combination but as usual I cut down on d sugar because I prefer a not too sweet cake and the marble effect was not too bad, ahem..now I think I already master how to have good marble pattern when I bake cake .. Ha! ha! ha!

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    1. Hi Red Velvet! Glad that your cake turned out beautifully. Chocolate and orange make a good combination. Thumbs up to you!

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  26. I'm so amazing at what I saw on your blog,was searching for a nice site where I can get chocolate Chiffon Cake for my cousin's birthday. Your chocolate Chiffon Cake looks attractive and adorable .
    I will like to you to bake a cake for my cousin's birthday that is coming up next month

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  27. Excellent publish, very informative. I ponder why the opposite experts of this sector don’t realize this. You should continue your writing. I’m confident, you have got a great readers’ base already!

    ReplyDelete