Mocha Chiffon Cake with Sea Salt Whipped Cream

This Mocha Chiffon Cake is soft, cloud-like. Pair with a lightly sweetened sea salt whipped cream. Perfect for celebration all year round!

I can’t believe it’s already February! It’s also a very busy month, with the Big Game, Valentine’s Day, Lunar New Year, and Bryan’s birthday all packed into just two weeks. With all that in mind, I wanted to make a dessert that works for everything, like group gatherings, date nights, and birthday celebrations.

The inspiration for this recipe comes from the sea salt coffee at 85˚C Bakery. It’s essentially a sweetened iced coffee topped with sea salt whipped cream, and I love that subtle hint of saltiness. I thought it would be fun to turn those flavors into a cake.

Here are some tips:

Flour:
Cake flour is the way to go. It creates a lighter, softer crumb, which is essential for that fluffy chiffon texture. I used Swans Down cake flour.

Cocoa Powder:
Be sure to use Dutch-process cocoa powder. It has a smoother, more mellow flavor and reacts properly with baking powder, giving the cake a deeper chocolate color and flavor. Natural cocoa powder won’t react the same way and can affect how the cake rises.

Instant Coffee:
I used instant espresso powder for a stronger, more pronounced coffee flavor. Since the cake already has cocoa in it, the espresso helps the coffee flavor stand out. Regular instant coffee works too, but I find espresso powder to be more intense.

Egg Whites:
When working with egg whites, make sure all your equipment is clean and completely free of grease. Even a small amount of yolk can prevent the whites from whipping properly. Keeping the egg whites and mixing bowl cold helps create a more stable meringue. Add the sugar gradually so the meringue doesn’t deflate.

When incorporating the egg whites into the egg yolk batter, do so gently to preserve as much air as possible. Start by folding in a small portion of the meringue to loosen the batter, then gently fold in the remaining egg whites. Take care not to overmix, as deflating the egg whites will affect the cake’s rise and light texture.

Baking Pan:
For a successful chiffon cake, use a regular tube pan. Do not use a nonstick pan and do not grease it. The batter needs to cling to the sides of the pan for structure while baking. I used an angel food cake pan.

Once the cake comes out of the oven, immediately turn it upside down to cool. This prevents the cake from sinking as it cools. If the cake doesn’t rise past the height of the tube, it will rest securely on its own. If it rises higher, you can invert it over an empty wine bottle instead.

Sea Salt Whipped Cream:
This topping is all about balance. It should be lightly sweet with just a hint of salt. Adjust the sugar and salt to your taste.

The finished cake is incredibly light and fluffy, with deep chocolate and coffee flavors. The sea salt whipped cream adds creaminess, moisture, and a subtle savory contrast. Serve it with some fresh berries, and it’s perfect for just about any occasion.

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Mocha Chiffon Cake with Sea Salt Whipped Cream

Course Dessert

Cuisine Japanese

Keyword cake, chiffon cake, dessert, japanese dessert, mocha cake, sea salt whipped cream

Prep Time 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Cool Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 3 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 1 (10-inch) cake

Author Lokness

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon Powdered sugar
• Strawberries (optional)

Mocha Chiffon Cake:

• 210 grams cake flour
• 11 grams baking powder
• 28 grams Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 170 milliliters whole milk
• 7 grams instant espresso powder
• 8 large eggs
• 230 grams sugar
• 110 milliliters vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Sea Salt Whipped Cream:

• 2 cups heavy cream
• ¼ cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 340˚F (170˚C).
• For the cake, in a medium mixing bowl, whisk together 210g cake flour, 11g baking powder, and 28g cocoa powder. Set aside.
• In a small microwave safe measuring cup, add 170ml milk. Microwave for about 30 seconds or until just hot. Add instant espresso powder and stir to melt. Transfer to the fridge to chill until ready to use.
• Prepare 2 small bowls and a stand mixer bowl. Make sure they are all clean and dry. Separate 8 eggs. Crack an egg over a small bowl, let the white run down. Place the yolk in the other small bowl, and then transfer the white to the stand mixer bowl. Continue with the rest of the eggs. Make sure no egg yolk in the whites, even a small amount can prevent the whites from whipping properly.
• Transfer the egg whites with the mixer bowl into the fridge and chill for 15 – 30 minutes.
• In a large mixing bowl, add egg yolks and half of the 230g sugar (not all). Whisk vigorously until creamy and pale yellow color. Add 110ml oil and vanilla extract, whisk until combined.
• Add the cold coffee milk the egg yolk mixture and whisk to combine. Sieve the flour mixture into the egg yolk mixture. Whisk together until smooth with no lumps. Set aside.
• In an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, whisk the cold egg whites over medium heat until foamy with small bubbles. With the mixer on, slowly add the remaining half of the 230g sugar. Turn the speed up to medium high, whisk until stiff peaks form.
• Whisk in ¼ of the meringue into egg yolk mixture. Then gently fold in the rest of the meringue until just incorporated (do not stir). Pour the batter into an ungreased tube cake pan. Gently tap the pan on the table a couple times to remove air bubbles. Run a long skewer or chopstick into the batter to remove more air bubbles.
• Bake the cake in the oven for 45 – 55 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean and the cake springs back when touch gently.
• Turn the cake upside down to cool completely, about 2 hours. If the cake rises higher than the tube, you can invert it over an empty wine bottle.
• Once the cake is cool, run a thin knife or offset spatula around the sides the pan. Lift up the tube with the cake. Run the knife around the middle tube and the bottom. Place a large serving plate on top and carefully invert the cake onto the plate. Lightly dust the cake with powdered sugar.
• For the sea salt whipped cream, in a large mixing bowl, add 2 cups heavy cream, ¼ cup sugar and ½ teaspoon sea salt. Whisk until soft peaks form.
• Serve the cake with whipped cream and strawberries if using.

Notes

1. When measuring vegetable oil and milk, you can use a scale as well. Milliliters and grams are about 1:1, so 10ml milk equals to 10g milk. 
2. When working with egg whites, make sure all bowls are clean, grease-free and dry. Any grease or water could prevent egg whites from beaten properly. Make sure no egg yolk in it as well. 
3. How to separate eggs? I use my hands. I first wash my hands well with soap, then dry it completely with a clean towel. Crack an egg, remove half of the shell, then pour the whole egg over my hand into a small bowl. In the process, my hand is catching the yolk while letting the white run down to the bowl through my fingers. Then, transfer the yolk to another small bowl and put the white in the mixer bowl. Make sure no yolk in the white. Yolk can prevent the meringue getting to stiff peaks. 
4. How to check if the meringue has reached stiff peaks? Lift the mixer whisk straight up and turn the whisk over. If the tip of the meringue is stiff and doesn’t fall over, that is called stiff peaks. If the tip dip immediately, that’s not ready and require whisking for longer. But do not overmix.
5. For storage, the cake is best to enjoy the same day. But it can be kept covered at room temperature for up to 2 days. Whipped cream can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for a few hours. It will start to deflate and weep after that. 

(Chiffon cake adapted from Just One Cookbook)