We first came across Japanese chiffon cakes in a Japanese pastry shop in Paris that sold nothing but cakes of this type. hiffon cakes are light and airy and contain no butter, which makes them delicate and spongy. Usually they’re baked in a chiffon cake pan, a tall pan with a hole in the middle and little legs that come out of the sides. The legs prevent the cake from collapsing onto itself. The Japanese love chiffon cakes and make them in a wide variety of flavors and with different icings.

 

We recently took a trip to Japan—a dream come true. I, of course, came back to Paris completely inspired by Japan and with lots of interesting ingredients, which make me want to get right into the kitchen and put them to work in Western desserts. First, though, I decided to try my hand at chiffon cake. I tested out several recipes until I got to this one, which I feel is finally right. If you use the exact quantities of the ingredients and the right pan and follow the instructions, you can expect a cake that is airy, tall and so very light. As it’s not very sweet, the dark chocolate ganache gives it an extra delicate sweetness, making it perfect for any time of day.