Hawaiʻi Local Chantilly Cake (Oʻahu Bakery Chocolate Chiffon)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Two 9-inch round aluminum cake pans
• •Stand mixer or hand mixer
• •Heavy 3-quart saucepan
• •Offset spatula
• •Fine sieve for the frosting

Instructions

1. 1

   Set the pans

   Heat the oven to 325F. Line the bottoms of two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment and leave the sides bare, no butter, no spray. Chiffon needs grip to climb the wall and stay tall, same as any child trying to see over the bakery counter.

   Aluminum pans give the cake the best climb. Dark pans brown faster, so start checking a few minutes early.
2. 2

   Bloom the cocoa

   Whisk the cocoa powder with the hot water until smooth and glossy, then let it sit 5 minutes so it comes down from hot to warm. That little rest takes the dry edge off the cocoa and gives the chiffon a deeper chocolate color.

3. 3

   Build the batter

   Sift the cake flour, 1 cup of the sugar, the baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt into a wide bowl. In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks, oil, vanilla, and warm cocoa mixture until smooth. Pour the wet mixture into the dry and stir just until the batter turns even and satiny, with no dry pockets hiding at the bottom.

4. 4

   Whip the whites

   Beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until they hold loose bubbles, then add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar a spoonful at a time. Keep beating until the whites are glossy and hold medium peaks that bend softly at the tip. Dry, broken whites make a stiff cake, and nobody came to the party for that.

5. 5

   Fold and bake

   Fold one-third of the whites into the chocolate batter to lighten it, then fold in the rest gently, turning the bowl and lifting from the bottom until no white streaks remain. Divide the batter between the pans and smooth the tops. Bake 28 to 34 minutes, until the cakes spring back when touched and a tester comes out clean.

6. 6

   Cool the layers

   Let the cakes rest in their pans for 10 minutes, then run a thin knife around the sides, invert onto racks, and peel off the parchment. Cool completely before frosting. If the cake is even a little warm, the Chantilly will slide, and no blame the cake for that.

7. 7

   Make the syrup

   Bring 1/3 cup water and 1/3 cup sugar to a short simmer, stirring until clear, then cool. This is bakery work, not fancy work. A light brush of syrup keeps the chiffon soft after the cake sits in the fridge.

8. 8

   Cook the Chantilly

   In a heavy 3-quart saucepan, whisk the frosting sugar, cornstarch, and 1/4 teaspoon salt until the cornstarch is evenly mixed. Whisk in the evaporated milk and egg yolks. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly and scraping the corners, until the custard thickens enough to hold a line on the spoon and gives a few slow blips, 8 to 12 minutes.

   Evaporated milk is not a shortcut here. It's the taste of the Hawaiʻi Local pantry. Sweetened condensed milk is a different thing and will make the frosting too sweet.
9. 9

   Finish the frosting

   Take the pan off the heat and whisk in the butter a few pieces at a time until the frosting turns thick, smooth, and glossy. Stir in the vanilla. If you see little egg bits, push the frosting through a fine sieve while it's warm. No shame. The table only cares that the slice tastes right.

10. 10

    Cool to spread

    Scrape the Chantilly into a shallow bowl and press parchment or plastic wrap directly on the surface. Let it cool to room temperature, 45 to 60 minutes, until it is thick enough to mound on a spoon but still spreads easy. Stir it smooth before using.

11. 11

    Fill and frost

    Place one cake layer on a board or plate and brush lightly with syrup. Spread on a thick layer of Chantilly, set the second layer on top, brush again, then cover the top and sides with the remaining frosting. This is a bakery-case coat, generous and a little old-school, not a thin polite scrape.

12. 12

    Crown and rest

    Scatter the chopped macadamia nuts over the top, pressing some gently into the sides if you like that Oʻahu bakery look. Chill the cake 30 minutes so it sets clean, then let it sit 15 minutes before slicing. Cut big enough for celebration, small enough that everybody gets one.

Chef Tips

• •Hawaiʻi Chantilly is a cooked custard frosting, not whipped cream. If you want French crème Chantilly, beautiful, but that's another cake from another table.
• •Cook the frosting patiently and keep the spoon moving along the bottom of the pan. The custard catches fast once it thickens, and burnt milk will talk over the whole cake.
• •Macadamia nuts go from fragrant to bitter quick. If yours are raw, toast them at 325F for 7 to 9 minutes, just until they smell warm and turn pale gold.
• •Leftover egg whites from the frosting freeze well. Pour them into a container, label the number of whites, and use them later for meringue, omelets, or another chiffon. We no waste good food.

Advance Preparation

• •Bake the chiffon layers 1 day ahead, wrap them well once cool, and keep them at room temperature.
• •Cook the Chantilly frosting 1 day ahead and refrigerate it with wrap pressed on the surface. Bring it to room temperature and stir until spreadable before frosting.
• •Assemble the cake up to 1 day ahead and refrigerate. Let it sit 15 to 20 minutes before serving so the frosting softens and the chiffon relaxes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 215g)