Directions

1. Preparation: Preheat the oven to 160°C (fan). Grease a cake tin (ideally a chiffon cake tin or a round tin with a high rim).

2. Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, thoroughly mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

3. Add wet ingredients: Add the egg yolk, oil, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla extract to the bowl of dry ingredients. Mix everything well until a smooth mixture is formed.

4. Whip the egg whites: In a separate, clean bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff and soft peaks form. For added hold, about 1/4 teaspoon of salt or a pinch of sugar can be added.

5. Carefully mix the dough: Stir about a third of the beaten egg white into the egg yolk mixture to loosen the mixture a little. Then carefully fold in the remaining egg white until everything is evenly mixed and an airy, even mixture is formed.

6. Baking: Pour the batter into the ungreased pan and smooth the top. Bake for about 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the top is lightly golden brown.

7. Cooling: Immediately after baking, turn the pan upside down (chiffon molds often have small feet for this). This will help to prevent the cake from collapsing. Allow the cake to cool completely before removing it from the tin.

8. Prepare the lemon icing: for the icing, mix the icing sugar with 3-4 tablespoons of lemon juice until you have a smooth, thick icing. Cover the cooled cake with the icing and garnish with a little lemon zest if you like.