Classic Chocolate Chiffon Cake with (Kahlua) Chocolate Buttercream

I think a Classic Chocolate Chiffon Cake is a light and airy cake between a butter and a light sponge cake. Can be quite tricky to make because of the large number of eggs and oil based batter but here’s a few tips and tricks on how to take this old classic to the next level.

Chocolate Chiffon Cake with Kahlua Chocolate Buttercream

Have you seen a Chiffon fabric? Light and airy? Well that’s what this cake is suppose to be – light and airy!! The most important difference in a Chiffon Cake is that it uses oil instead of butter; and the eggs whites are whipped up making the cake rise up high.

Most Chiffon cakes are usually baked in Bunt pans but as a cake decorator I always bake them in regular cake pans, and decorate them layered with fillings and frosting. You can even cover this cake with fondant but mostly as a single tier or the top most of a tier cakes.   I have used this Chocolate Chiffon Cake as a top layer of a three tier cake.

The Darker and Moist interior of this Chocolate Cake

Classic Chocolate Chiffon Cake

Kahlua Chocolate Chiffon Cake?

Classic Chocolate Chiffon Cake

Now, let’s talk ingredients and substitutes

• Cocoa Powder – I always use good quality dutch process chocolate for all my cakes.
• Milk – Not all traditional chiffon cakes usually have milk but I do believe it makes a huge difference both in texture and moisture.
• Eggs – Yes, lots of eggs – I know! but they are what keeps this cake light and airy so don’t go reducing them and be careful when you fold them into the batter. You want to keep them whipped so the cake rises to perfection.
• All Purpose Flour – I use to make this cake with cake flour but over the year of trial and testing I have come to this balance of all purpose flour. Mostly because I have many of you say – we do not get cake flour what can we substitute – So here you go Chocolate Chiffon cake with All purpose flour.
• Cream of Tartar – This helps with whipping those egg whites to nice stiff peaks. If you can’t find cream of tartar just a pinch of salt and 1/2 tsp of lemon juice will work too! No you do not taste the lemon in the cake at all.

Classic Chocolate Chiffon Cake

Recipe – Chocolate Chiffon Cake with Kahlua Chocolate Buttercream

Makes one 10″ Bunt Cake or 2 x 9 ” round cakes

Tools

• Mixer – Hand Mixeror Kitchen-Aid or
  K-mixwhich ever works for you.
• Bowls
• Whisk
• Spatula
• Cake Pans
• Parchment Paper
• Bunt Pan
• Baking Tray
• Cooling Rack

Classic Chocolate Chiffon Cake with Kahlua Chocolate Buttercream

Ingredients

For the cake

• All purpose flour- 275 grams
• Cocoa powder – 85 grams ( 3/4 cup)
• White sugar – 300 grams (1 1/2 cup)
• Baking soda – 1/2 tsp
• Baking powder – 2 tsp
• Vegetable oil -non flavored – 120 ml  (1/2 cup)
• Whole milk – 60 ml (1/4 cup)
• Eggs separated – 7 large
• Salt – 1/2 tsp
• Cream of tartar – 1/4 tsp
• Boiling water – 1/2 cup (120 ml)

For the Kahlua Chocolate Buttercream

• Unsalted butter – 113 grams  (1 stick)
• Powdered sugar / confectioners sugar – 250 gram (2 cups)
• Kahlua (or whipping cream) – 1/4 cup (60 ml)
• Chocolate – semi sweet – 100 grams / 8 oz
• Vanilla extract – 1 tsp

Method

• Preheat oven to 160 C / 320 F.
• Prepare pans for baking – grease and line.
• Sift flour, salt and baking soda.
• Pour boiling water into the coco powder and set aside to cool slightly.
• Cream half the sugar with the egg yolks, until pale, light and fluffy.
• Add in the vanilla, and
• Pour in the milk slowly.
• Once eggs are light and fluffy, add in the oil slowly.
• Start adding the flour a little at a time.
• Add the cooled Cocoa mixture.
• In a (separate or cleaned) grease free bowl, with whisk attachment, add the eggs whites and cream of tartar. Whisk for a minute then slowly add in the remaining sugar. Whisk until stiff peaks but still shinny.
• Gently fold the egg whites into your cake batter.
• Pour batter into your baking pan / Bunt pan.
• Bake on the center rack until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. About 60 to 70 minutes if baked in a single pan. About 25 to 30 minutes if baked in two separate pans like I have here.
• Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then remove onto a rack to cool further.
• Let cool completely before decorating.

To make the buttercream & decorate 

• Combine all buttercream ingredients except melted chocolate in a bowl until light and fluffy.
• Then combine the cooled melted chocolate and combine well.
• To decorate – just torte the cake into two.
• Brush with simple syrup (simple syrup is just sugar syrup).
• Spread a layer of buttercream – place the second layer of cake on top.
• Place the remaining buttercream in a piping bag with the star tip and pipe swirls and lines as you see in the cake.

Save this Recipe for later; find a collection of tutorials and recipes here on Pinterest 

Classic Chocolate Chiffon Cake with Kahlua Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

 Recipe Card – Classic Chocolate Chiffon Cake Recipe with Kahlua Chocolate Buttercream

Classic Chiffon Cake Recipe with (Kahlua) Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

I think a Classic Chocolate Chiffon Cake is a light and airy cake between a butter and a light sponge cake. Can be quite tricky to make because of the large number of eggs and oil based batter but here's a few tips and tricks on how to take this old classic to the next level.

Print

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings 12 Servings

Calories 351 kcal

Author Veena Azmanov

Ingredients - Choose (Metric or US Customary) below

For the cake

• 275 grams All purpose flour
• 85 grams Cocoa powder
• 300 grams White sugar
• 1/2 tsp Baking soda
• 2 tsp Baking powder
• 120 ml  Vegetable oil non flavored
• 60 ml Whole milk
• 7 Eggs - separated large
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp Cream of tartar
• 120 ml Boiling water

For the Kahlua chocolate buttercream

• 113 grams Unsalted butter
• 250 grams Powdered sugar / confectioners sugar
• 60 ml Kahlua or whipping cream
• 100 grams Chocolate semi sweet
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract

Metric - US customary

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 160 C / 320 F.
2. Prepare pans for baking - grease and line
3. Sift flour, salt and baking soda.
4. Pour boiling water into the coco powder and set aside to cool slightly
5. Cream half the sugar with the egg yolks, until pale, light and fluffy.
6. Add in the vanilla and
7. Pour in the milk slowly
8. Once eggs are light and fluffy, add in the oil slowly.
9. Start adding the flour a little at a time.
10. Add the cooled Cocoa mixture
11. In a (separate or cleaned) grease free bowl, with whisk attachment, add the eggs whites and cream of tartar. Whisk for a minute then slowly add in the remaining sugar. Whisk until stiff peaks but still shinny.
12. Gently fold the egg whites into your cake batter.
13. Pour batter into your baking pan / Bunt pan
14. Bake on the center rack until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. About 60 to 70 minutes if baked in a single pan. About 25 to 30 minutes if baked in two separate pans like I have here.
15. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then remove onto a rack to cool further.
16. Let cool completely before decorating.

To make the Buttercream & decorate 

1. Combine all buttercream ingredients except melted chocolate in a bowl until light and fluffy.
2. Then combine the cooled melted chocolate and combine well.
3. To decorate - just torte the cake into two -
4. brush with simple syrup (simple syrup is just sugar syrup)
5. Spread a layer of buttercream - place the second layer of cake on top
6. Place the remaining buttercream in a piping bag with the star tip and pipe swirls and lines as you see in the cake

Nutrition Facts

Classic Chiffon Cake Recipe with (Kahlua) Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Amount Per Serving (100 g)

Calories 351 Calories from Fat 155

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 17.2g 26%

Saturated Fat 6.6g 33%

Trans Fat 0.3g

Polyunsaturated Fat 10.3g

Monounsaturated Fat 0g

Cholesterol 88mg 29%

Sodium 130mg 5%

Potassium 0mg 0%

Total Carbohydrates 46.9g 16%

Dietary Fiber 2.4g 10%

Sugars 31.2g

Protein 5.4g 11%

Vitamin A 0%

Vitamin C 0%

Calcium 0%

Iron 0%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Now that is my boozy Kahlua Classic Chocolate Chiffon Cake

and yes it’s with Kahlua Chocolate Buttercream. Don’t worry I did make Chocolate Mousse cake for the kids so they weren’t complaining either.

Classic Chocolate Chiffon Cake with Kahlua Chocolate Buttercream