How to Bake an Macapuno Chiffon Cake

Macapuno is a variety of coconut.

Macapuno is a variety of mutant coconut native to the Philippines. Its meat is jelly-like in texture and it is often preserved in sugar syrup in shreds, and used as a flavoring for candy and ice cream. It is also a popular flavoring for cakes. Chiffon cakes are similar to an angel food cakes: whipped egg whites aerate the batter; but unlike angel food cake, egg yolks are also added. You can make this cake easily with basic baking ingredients if you have access to preserved macapuno.

Things You'll Need

• Mixing bowls
• Sifter
• 1 3/4 cups sifted flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 bowls for egg yolks and whites
• 2 bowls for macapuno and syrup
• Knife
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 7 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup macapuno syrup
• 2 Tbs pineapple juice
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Wooden spoon
• 7 egg whites
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• Egg beater
• 1/2 cup chopped preserved macapuno, drained of syrup
• Rubber spatula
• 10 inch tube pan
• Bottle

Instructions

Making A Macapuno Chiffon Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Measure out 1 3/4 cups flour, 1/4 cup cornstarch, 4 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 cup white sugar. Place these into a large sifter and sift into a mixing bowl.

2. Separate the egg yolks and whites; have two bowls ready to hold the yolks and whites. Crack the eggs over one and carefully pour the egg contents from one half of the shell to the other, thus isolating the yolk in one half of the egg shell. Place the whites into one bowl and the yolks into the other.

3. Drain 1/2 cup of preserved macapuno shreds, reserving the syrup in a separate bowl. Using a knife, chop the shreds into small pieces.

4. Make a well in the dry ingredients in the first mixing bowl. Pour into the well 1/2 cup cooking oil, 7 egg yolks, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup macapuno syrup, 2 Tb pineapple juice and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Stir with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined and smooth.

5. Using an egg beater, whip the 7 egg whites and 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar until they are opaque and form soft peaks. Gradually add 1/2 cup white sugar to the egg whites and beat until the mixture forms stiff peaks.

6. Fold the egg white mixture into the batter in the first mixing bowl until the mixture has no streaks and is thoroughly blended. Fold in the chopped drained macapuno. Pour the batter into a 10 inch tube pan, using a rubber spatula to guide the batter into the pan.

7. Put the filled cake pan into the preheated oven. Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 50 minutes. Raise the oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 10 minutes more. Remove the pan from the oven and invert it onto a bottle to ensure that the cake cools without collapsing.

Tips & Warnings

• You can frost the cake with a white buttercream or other white frosting.

• You can split the cooled cake and fill it with a layer of chopped drained macapuno.

References

• filipinovillage.com: Macapuno Chiffon Cake
• Tagalog Lang: Makapuno or Macapuno
• marketmanila.com: Macapuno