Vegan Classic Chiffon Cake w/ Vintage Hawaiian Fluff Topping

Directions

Cake

1. Preheat your oven to  325°F (160°C) and position the rack in the lower third.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry cake ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, and optional lemon zest) until well combined.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment (or a large bowl), mix the wet ingredients on low speed for about a minute until thoroughly combined.
4. With the mixer on low, gradually add the dry mixture to the wet mixture. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as you go. The batter will seem lumpy at first but will smooth out as the flour hydrates. It will be a relatively thin batter. Set aside.

Meringue

1. Optional but recommended: For the smoothest texture, blend the animal-free egg white powder and water in a small, clean blender for a few seconds. This prevents any gritty bits of protein in the final cake.
2. In a clean, large bowl with a whisk attachment, combine the egg white powder, cool water, and sugar. Whisk on low for 1 minute to dissolve the sugar.
3. Increase speed to medium-low (speed 4) and whisk for 3 minutes. The mixture will become opaque and foamy, like soap suds.
4. Add the cream of tartar or lemon juice and increase the speed to medium (speed 6) for another 1.5 minutes. The foam will gain volume and become denser.
5. Increase the speed to medium-high (speed 8) and whisk until the foam is glossy and forms stiff peaks. This should take about 5-6 minutes. The whisk will leave clear trails in the foam, and the peaks will hold their shape without sliding off the whisk.

6. Gently fold about one-third of the meringue into the cake batter with a spatula. Use a gentle scraping motion from the bottom of the bowl to incorporate it.

7. Add the rest of the foam and continue to fold gently until just combined. A few streaks of foam are acceptable.
8. Pour the batter into an ungreased tube pan.
9. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and an internal thermometer reads at least 206°F (97°C).
10. Immediately invert the cake pan to cool completely (at least 2 hours). If the pan has no feet, balance it on a few cans to allow air to circulate underneath.
11. Once cool, carefully unmold the cake onto a platter.

Hawaiian Fluff Topping

1. Helpful Tip: Chill your mixing bowl and whisk in the freezer for 15-20 minutes before starting.
2. Combine the prepared heavy whipping cream base, powdered sugar, and almond extract in the chilled bowl.
3. Using a whisk attachment, whip on medium-high speed (speed 8) until soft peaks form, which takes about 2-4 minutes. Watch it closely; it will thicken quickly toward the end, and over-whipping will turn it into butter.
4. Gently fold in the desiccated or shredded coconut.
5. Frost the completely cooled cake with the fluff. Garnish with pineapple and maraschino cherries. It's best to frost the cake the day you plan to serve it.