top of page
Hawaiian Chocolate Chantilly Cake
The Honolulu bakery classic made famous by Liliha Bakery and Dee Lite: a light chocolate chiffon cake covered in Hawaiian-style chantilly, a rich caramel-buttery custard frosting made with evaporated milk and egg yolks. Not the French whipped cream.
Notes
Starter recipe; adjust to taste. Keep refrigerated. If the frosting breaks or looks oily, whisk in a spoonful of cold evaporated milk off the heat.
RECIPE CARD
Hawaiian Chocolate Chantilly Cake
Yield: One 9x13 cake or two 8-inch layers, 12–16 servings | Time: 2 hours, plus cooling
────────────────────────
Ingredients
Chocolate chiffon cake
- 2 cups Cake flour
- ½ cup Cocoa powder
- 1¾ cups Sugar, divided
- 1 Tbsp Baking powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- ½ cup Neutral oil
- 7 Large eggs, separated
- ¾ cup Cold water or cooled coffee
- 2 tsp Vanilla extract
- ½ tsp Cream of tartar
Chantilly frosting
- 1 can (12 oz) Evaporated milk
- 1 cup Sugar
- 4 Large egg yolks
- 1 cup (2 sticks) Unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- Pinch Salt
Garnish
- Chocolate shavings or sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
- Cake: Heat oven to 325°F. Sift flour, cocoa, 1¼ cups sugar, baking powder and salt into a large bowl.
- Make a well and add oil, egg yolks, water or coffee and vanilla. Whisk until smooth.
- Whip egg whites with cream of tartar to soft peaks, then gradually add the remaining ½ cup sugar and whip to stiff, glossy peaks.
- Fold the whites into the batter in three additions. Pour into an ungreased 9x13 pan (or two parchment-lined 8-inch pans).
- Bake 35–40 minutes (25–30 for layers) until the top springs back. Cool completely.
- Chantilly: Whisk evaporated milk, sugar and yolks in a heavy saucepan. Add the butter.
- Cook over medium-low, stirring constantly, 12–18 minutes until thick, glossy and pale caramel colored, like a loose pudding. Do not boil hard.
- Off heat, stir in vanilla and salt. Cool, stirring occasionally, until spreadable; chill 30 minutes if needed.
- Spread over the cooled cake (and between layers if stacked). Garnish with chocolate shavings and refrigerate until set.
────────────────────────
Schossow Kitchen · schossowkitchen.com
bottom of page