Cute Bear Chiffon Cake Sandwiches with Whipped Cream

Chiffon cake usually shows up as plain triangles and squares, or with a bit of decoration on top. Why not try something different and turn it into a bear-shaped chiffon cake sandwich? Soft chiffon rounds are filled with whipped cream and given a cute bear face with melted chocolate. They are perfect for eating at home, giving as gifts, or even selling.

What is chiffon cake?

Chiffon is a light cake made by beating the egg yolks and egg whites separately and then folding them together. It contains no butter or margarine; vegetable oil is used instead. Once baked, the crumb is soft and airy with fine, even bubbles. Because it cannot hold much weight, it is best decorated lightly.

This recipe comes from Aunt Mariah's Kitchen and is a lovely project to make with kids during school holidays.

Ingredients

Chiffon batter

• 2 egg yolks (medium eggs)
• 20 g (1 1/2 tablespoons) granulated sugar
• 20 g (4 teaspoons) fresh milk
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 20 g (4 teaspoons) rice bran oil (or any neutral vegetable oil)
• 25 g (3 tablespoons) cake flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Meringue

• 2 egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 25 g (2 tablespoons) granulated sugar

Filling and decoration

• Sweetened whipped cream
• Dark chocolate, melted
• White chocolate, melted

Instructions

1. Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until the sugar dissolves.
2. Add the milk, rice bran oil, and vanilla and whisk until combined. Sift in the cake flour and baking powder and fold gently until just combined; do not overmix or the cake will turn tough.
3. Make the meringue: beat the egg whites until foamy, add the cream of tartar, then add the sugar in three additions and beat to stiff peaks.
4. Fold one-third of the meringue into the yolk batter to loosen it, then add the remaining meringue and fold gently until no streaks remain.
5. Pipe the batter onto a lined baking sheet in rounds to form bear faces, then pipe two small ears on top of each. Bake at 170°C (340°F), top and bottom heat, for about 20–25 minutes. Let the cakes cool on the tray.
6. Whip the cream to stiff peaks. Using a large open-star tip, pipe a ring of cream onto half of the bear rounds, leaving a hollow in the center that you can fill with jam or fruit if you like, then top with the remaining rounds.
7. Decorate the faces with melted dark chocolate and white chocolate: eyes, nose, and muzzle.

Tips

• Pipe the ears slightly larger than you think you need; chiffon does not spread much, and small ears can disappear during baking.
• Make sure the cakes are completely cool before filling, or the cream will melt.
• Once you have the technique down, try other animals, cartoon characters, or fruit shapes.