This yuzu chiffon layer cake is a perfect sunshiny ode to spring. I created it as a spin on the classic whipped cream cakes seen in Chinese bakeries, with made of yellow sponge cake, filled with fruit and whipped cream, and covered in more whipped cream frosting and fruit. My version has vanilla and yuzu scented chiffon cake layered with a sweet-tart yuzu curd, covered in a lightly sweetened stabilized whipped cream frosting.
What is Yuzu?
Yuzu has always been one of my favorite baking ingredients, so now that I have a suitable backyard we planted a yuzu tree last summer. This Japanese fruit is notoriously known as slow to grow, so I was prepared to wait a while for it to bear fruit, but lo and behold by this March we had several of the bumpy yellow fruits hanging from the spiky branches.
Yuzu are similar to lemons in terms of their outside appearance, but they have considerably more seeds inside. Therefore you’re likely to get less juice from a yuzu fruit than a lemon. So while it was definitely a gardening victory to have our yuzu tree take root and bear fruit in such a short time, it’s not necessarily to have fresh yuzu for a recipe that calls for yuzu. You can also find yuzu juice in Japanese groceries or online. It’s also perfectly fine to use lemon juice in this recipe as well in place of yuzu!
Chinese Bakery Whipped Cream Cakes as Inspiration
Moving on to the cake itself: the whipped cream layer cakes in Chinese bakeries were an indelible part of my childhood. Although it’s most often referred to as sponge cake, the cake is typically made with oil and baking powder, which makes it more like a chiffon cake. It is possible to make a sponge cake with just flour, sugar, and eggs, relying solely on the whipped egg whites to provide airiness and heft, but for this cake I like that the oil gives the cake a bit more tenderness and moistness.
The key to chiffon cakes is to fold the whipped egg whites gently into the batter to maximize heft and minimize deflation, but the baking powder helps as well. The recipe below makes two 8″ round layers that are then split in half. I only used three of the layers, but you can most certainly use all four to create a truly grand cake.
Chinese bakery cakes are typically filled and frosted with whipped cream instead of buttercream, so the yuzu curd provides a nice counterbalance of richness. I’ve made this yuzu curd before and I love how smooth and buttery it is – the perfect consistency for spreading on scones, or for filling a cake. Again, if you can’t find yuzu, lemon works just as well for this cake.
Finally, the whipped cream frosting is as simple as whipping up some cream and adding some gelatin to it – it gives the structure needed to be spreadable and pipeable, and it holds up beautifully in the refrigerator. I think the whipped cream is an ideal complement for the lightness of this chiffon cake, and lets the intensity of the yuzu shine. A bit of fruit to decorate the top is the final touch for this spring cake.
Yuzu Chiffon Layer Cake
Ingredients
Vanilla Cake
- 1 1/2 cups (195 g) cake flour
- 1 cup (200 g) sugar
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 6 large eggs, separated
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/2 cup (115 g) water
- 1/2 cup (100 g) canola or vegetable oil
- 3 tbsp yuzu juice
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Yuzu Curd
- 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
- zest from 2 lemons
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup (58 g) yuzu juice
- 1/4 cup (58 g) freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 5 ounces (142 g) unsalted butter cut into 1-in pieces, softened but not melting
Whipped Cream Frosting
- 1 tsp unflavored gelatin powder
- 1 tbsp water
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 8-in round cake pans and line bottoms with parchment rounds.
- Whisk together cake flour, sugar, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
- Place egg whites and cream of tartar in clean bowl of stand mixer with whisk attachment. Whisk until stiff peaks form.
- Whisk together egg yolks, water, oil, and vanilla extract in a separate bowl.
- Add egg yolk mixture to flour mixture and whisk well to combine.
- Add in about a cup of the egg white mixture to the batter and gently fold in with a rubber spatula until incorporated.
- Add in the rest of the egg white mixture and fold gently until incorporated.
- Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until cakes are golden and spring back in the center when gently pressed.
- Transfer pans to wire racks and let cool for 5 minutes before inverting onto wire racks. Let cool completely.
For the yuzu curd:
- Create a water bath by placing a saucepan of water over heat to simmer and placing a metal bowl unto the pan so its bottom does not touch the water.
- Combine the sugar and lemon zest together with your fingers and add to the metal bowl.
- Whisk in the eggs, yuzu juice, and lemon juice.
- Cook the mixture over the simmering water, whisking constantly, until the cream reaches 180 degrees and thickens. Keep whisking while the mixture is heating up to prevent the eggs from cooking.
- Once the cream is thickened – you should be able to make tracks in the mixture with your whisk – take the cream off the heat and strain it into the bowl of a food processor or blender. Let the cream rest for a bit until it cools to about 140 degrees.
- Add in the butter pieces a few at the time and combine on high speed. Once all of the butter has been added, let the mixture combine for a few minutes longer to ensure the mixture is perfectly smooth.
- Once the cream is finished pour it into a container and let it chill in the refrigerator for about half an hour before assembly.
For the whipped cream:
- Place water in a small heatproof bowl and sprinkle powdered gelatin over it, and let sit for a couple minutes to let gelatin bloom.
- Heat gelatin in microwave in 30 second increments to turn back into liquid.
- Place cream in bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Whisk for several minutes until it starts to thicken.
- Add in confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract and whisk until soft peaks form.
- With the mixer running, pour in liquid gelatin and whisk until stiff peaks form. Do not overwhip.
- You can use the whipped cream or refrigerate until needed.
To assemble the cake:
- Peel parchment paper off bottoms of cakes. Carefully slice each layer in half horizontally to create 4 layers.
- Place one cake layer on a cake board or cake decorating stand.
- Spread some of the yuzu curd over the top of cake layer evenly. Place a second cake layer on top and spread some more buttercream over the cake layer. Repeat with the remaining cake layers. I only used three of the cake layers and saved the last layer for snacking.
- Spread a crumb coat of whipped cream over the top and sides of cake. Refrigerate for about an hour to let the whipped cream set.
- Spread the rest of the whipped cream over the top and sides of cake with an offset spatula. You can also place some of the whipped cream in a decorating bag and pipe design on the top or sides of the cake.
Anita Chu, also known as pastrygirl, is a baker, writer, and photographer with a passion for pastry. She trained at Tante Marie's Cooking School and is the author of Field Guide to Cookies, Field Guide to Candy, and Lollipop Love. Anita lives in San Francisco with her husband, daughter, and dog Max. 
Leave a Reply