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.

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.