Name: Hojicha Chiffon Cake Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 4 egg yolks (room temperature); 35 g caster sugar; 30 ml vegetable oil; 40 ml milk (or replace with 40 ml brewed hojicha tea for hojicha flavor); 3-4 drops vanilla essence; 70 g cake flour (or substitute part with 2 tsp matcha powder for matcha flavor); 4 egg whites (chilled); 35 g caster sugar, divided into three portions of 15 g, 15 g, and 15 g; 40 ml brewed hojicha tea (or 2 tbsp + 2 tsp hot water and 4 g hojicha leaves or 2 tbsp for brewing); 4 g hojicha leaves; Icing sugar to dust; Fresh cream; Fresh fruit of your choice

Ingredients

4 egg yolks

35 g caster sugar

30 ml vegetable oil

40 ml milk

3-4 drops vanilla essence

70 g cake flour

4 egg whites (chilled)

35 g caster sugar

Icing sugar, to dust

Fresh cream and fruit, to serve

40 ml brewed hojicha tea (or 2 tbsp + 2 tsp water with 4 g hojicha leaves)

4 g hojicha leaves (or 2 tbsp)

2 tsp matcha powder (optional for matcha variation)

Instructions

Step 1: Separate the eggs into yolks and whites. Keep yolks at room temperature and refrigerate the whites.

Step 2: Preheat the oven to 356°F (180°C).

Step 3: Sift the cake flour and set aside. For a matcha version, substitute an equal amount of flour with matcha powder and sift together.

Step 4: Brew the hojicha tea and let it cool.

Step 5: In a bowl, mix egg yolks with 35 g caster sugar until sugar dissolves.

Step 6: Gradually add vegetable oil, mixing well to emulsify with the yolks.

Step 7: Pour in the milk (or cooled brewed hojicha for hojicha flavor) and combine.

Step 8: Add the sifted flour to the bowl all at once and mix until combined. Set aside.

Step 9: Beat the chilled egg whites at medium-high speed until frothy and white.

Step 10: Add 15 g caster sugar and continue beating until fine froth forms.

Step 11: Add another 15 g sugar and continue beating.

Step 12: Add the final 15 g sugar, reduce mixer speed to low, and beat until soft peaks form. Stop the mixer.

Step 13: Fold one-third of the meringue into the egg yolk batter using a hand whisk.

Step 14: Pour this mixture back into the remaining meringue bowl. Gently fold in the remaining meringue carefully with a spatula until uniform in color, lifting from the bottom to retain airiness.

Step 15: Pour the batter into a chiffon cake tin. Drop the tin once on the bench to release air bubbles.

Step 16: Place the tin in the oven, reduce temperature to 338°F (170°C), and bake for 35 minutes.

Step 17: Check doneness with a skewer; if it comes out clean, turn off the oven and remove the tin.

Step 18: Invert the chiffon cake tin onto a bottle neck to cool completely, preventing collapse.

Step 19: Run a thin knife around the edges to loosen the cake, then remove the tin.

Step 20: Place cake on a cooling rack, dust with icing sugar, slice, and serve with fresh cream and fruit.

Tips & Variations

Use cold egg whites for better meringue volume and a fluffier cake texture.

For a matcha chiffon, replace some cake flour with matcha powder and omit hojicha tea.

If you don’t have hojicha leaves, use high-quality roasted green tea or hojicha powder.

Folding gently is key to maintaining the cake’s light texture.

FAQs

Can I use regular green tea instead of hojicha?

While you can substitute regular green tea, hojicha’s roasted flavor gives this chiffon cake its unique, toasty taste. Using regular green tea will result in a different, more vegetal flavor.

Why do I need to invert the cake to cool?

Inverting the cake prevents it from collapsing by using gravity to maintain its structure as it cools. This is especially important for chiffon cakes due to their delicate and airy texture.