Ingredients

• 5 eggs, separated
• 2 egg whites, extra
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 150g (2/3 cup) caster sugar
• 80ml (1/3 cup) grapeseed oil or vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon Paraiso Lychee Liqueur
• 100ml canned coconut milk
• 150g (1 cup) plain flour, sifted
• 2 teaspoons baking powder, sifted
• Pinch of salt

Bit and pieces

• 875ml (3 1/2 cups) thickened cream
• 90g (3/4 cup) icing sugar mixture
• 2 teaspoon Paraiso Lychee Liqueur
• A few drops of red or pink food colouring
• 750g strawberries, hulled, sliced lengthways
• 560g canned pitted lychees, drained and roughly sliced

Method

• Step 1 Preheat oven to 190C/170C fan forced. Have a 25cm angel food cake pan on standby. Do not grease or use a non-stick pan – for the chiffon to rise properly, sticky sides are exactly what the mixture needs to climb and sustain the impressive height.
• Step 2 For chiffon cake, combine the 7 egg whites and cream of tartar in a medium bowl. Whisk with an electric mixer on high speed until medium peaks form. Add 1/3 cup caster sugar, 1 tbs at a time, whisking well after each addition, until stiff peaks form.
• Step 3 Combine egg yolks and remaining 1/3 cup caster sugar in a large bowl. Whisk until pale and thick. Add oil, liqueur and coconut milk. Whisk until combined. Add flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk until just smooth.
• Step 4 Spoon a third of the meringue mixture into egg yolk mixture. Whisk until combined. Fold in remaining meringue with a whisk, getting rid of any small pockets of egg white.
• Step 5 Pour the mixture into the angel food cake pan and smooth the surface. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Immediately invert the pan and cool the cake completely in the pan – this takes about 2 hours. Run a knife around the inner and outer sides of the pan to release the cake. Lift it out, then slide the knife along the base of the tin to free the cake completely.
• Step 6 To finish the cake, whisk the cream and icing sugar mixture until stiff peaks form. Add the lychee liqueur and food colouring, then whisk carefully by hand to combine.
• Step 7 Slice the cake horizontally into 3 layers. Spread 2 of the layers with flavoured cream, evenly dotting the surface with strawberries and lychees, and stacking one on the other. Top with the third layer of cake and thinly cover all over with the cream. Decorate with remaining strawberries and edible flowers.