I’m back to practicing my cakes! And I actually really like how this one turned out. This cake reminds me of the strawberry shortcakes that I would get whenever my family would visit a Japanese bakery. The chiffon cake is super soft and fluffy, there is a giant layer of cream and strawberries in the middle, and everything has just the right amount of sweetness. Topped with fresh strawberries and homemade honeycomb toffee… perfection!
The cake base is a pretty standard chiffon cake. I’ve always sort of avoided making chiffon, just because I always get frustrated with folding in egg whites (how do people do it so perfectly!). This recipe isn’t too hard to get right, just make sure everything is evenly mixed but don’t mix too long and beat out all the air!
On top of each cake layer, I brushed the leftover lavender soaking syrup that I had from the Lemon Lavender Cake I made a little while ago. It helps the cake stay moist and also gives a super subtle and aromatic lavender taste. Totally recommend! If you don’t like lavender, a lemon-soaking syrup would be absolutely delicious here as well.
I used honey to sweeten the whipped cream, which gave it the perfect texture and flavor. Add honey to your tastes. At the end, I also folded in some additional honey, just so some bites would have a stronger flavor and sweetness than others (totally optional).
I topped my cake with fresh strawberries and (because I’m extra) I decided to make homemade honeycomb toffee. I used the Flavor Bender’s recipe, which was great, but just beware that it makes a lot! The honeycomb toffee adds a little sweet crunch to the cake. Just don’t add too much because it’s very sweet.
And that’s basically it! I absolutely love this cake. It’s so light that it’ll be hard to stop eating piece after piece. Keep any leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container for up to one week. Enjoy!
Honey & Strawberry Chiffon Cake
Ingredients
For the chiffon cake:
- 4 large eggs
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup milk 1
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
For the honey whipped cream:
- 1 pint heavy whipping cream
- honey, to taste (I used about 1/2 to 3/4 cup)
For assembly:
- about 1 lb fresh strawberries, washed and halved
- honeycomb toffee (optional)
- 1/4 cup lavender soaking syrup
Instructions
Make the chiffon cake:
- Preheat the oven to 355°F. Grease two 9" round cake pans and line the bottom with parchment paper circles.
- Separate the egg yolks and egg whites into two different bowls. Make sure that both bowls do not have any water or oil. Place the egg yolks in a slightly larger bowl.
- Add 1/4 of the granulated sugar to the egg yolks. Whisk well. Gradually add the vegetable oil in three segments and whisk after each addition. Add the milk and continue whisking.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into the egg yolk mixture. Using a spatula, fold in the flour mixture until it is well combined. Set aside.
- Using an electric hand mixer, beat the egg whites for 5-10 minutes on medium speed, or until soft peaks form.
- Add the lemon juice to the egg whites and continue beating. Then, gradually add the remaining 1/2 cup of granulated sugar in between beats. Continue until firm peaks form.
- Add 1/4 of the egg white mixture into the egg yolk bowl and gently fold to combine. Be very gentle, so you keep as much air in as possible. Repeat with the remaining 3 parts of the egg white mixture until it is all combined.
- Pour cake mixture into the prepared cake pans. Tap the pans on a flat surface to let any air bubbles escape.
- Bake cakes for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown on top and a skewer comes out clean. Set aside to cool completely.
Make the whipped cream:
- While the cake is cooling, make the honey whipped cream.
- Combine the honey and heavy whipping cream in a medium mixing bowl. Using an electric hand mixture, beat until desired texture. I made my whipped cream rather firm so that I could easily coat the cake with it.
- Taste and add more honey if needed. I also folded in additional honey to the whipped cream at the end.
Assemble the cake:
- Once cakes are completely cool, place the first layer on a flat surface (cake stand, plate, etc.). Trim the top of the cake with a serrated knife so that it is flat.
- Brush the lavender soaking syrup on the top of the first cake layer.
- Spread a thick layer of honey whipped cream on top of the first layer of cake. Arrange the strawberry halves on top in an even layer. Add more whipped cream on top of the strawberries to cover them.
- Place the next layer of cake on top of the whipped cream layer. Repeat the same process (lavender soaking syrup and then whipped cream).
- Using an offset spatula or knife, spread the rest of the whipped cream onto the rest of the cake. If it doesn't seem to layer properly, spread a first coat, place it in the refrigerator to chill, and then finish after a couple of minutes.
- Place the rest of the strawberries on top and the honeycomb toffee if you chose to make some (or any other toppings you want). Refrigerate for about 10-15 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!
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