Okay, I will admit, this is a cake with some extra work. And for many years I only pulled out this recipe in the Fair Season. I would compete in the Chiffon category each year in many different county and local fairs, and I don't think I have ever lost with this recipe!! I now make it for many different tortes. It's a nice change from the classic butter cake and it pairs especially well with light fruit and mousse fillings, such as our Lemon Mousse recipe. A favorite use for the round layers is to split each round horizontally into two layers, so you have a total of four layers of cake. Place the bottom layer on your serving plate and spread thinly with raspberry jam. Top with lemon mousse, top with the second cake layer and repeat until you have four cake layers and three layers of raspberry jam and Lemon Mousse. Finish the cake with Italian Meringue or Mousseline Buttercream or IMBC or sweetened whipped cream. Refrigerate before serving, and keep refrigerated.
CAKE RECIPE HELP
INGREDIENTS
2 1/4 cups bleached cake flour (not self-rising); spoon into dry measuring cup and level to top
1 1/2 cups regular or superfine sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup cold water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
zest and juice from 1 lemon
1 teaspoon lemon extract
5 large egg yolks
8 large egg whites
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
2 tablespoons sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Have a 10-inch tube pan with a removable bottom (angel food cake pan) ready and keep it UNGREASED.
2. In a large bowl, sift the flour, the sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center and set aside.
3. In a separate bowl combine the cold water, oil, zest, juice, extract and the egg yolks. Set aside.
4. Begin whipping the whites with the cream of tartar in a separate bowl, on low speed. Increase the speed to medium and add in 2 tablespoons sugar.
You want to whip until a softly stiff peak. It should form a peak that just turns over at the top. Set aside.
5. Stir the egg yolk mixture and then pour into the well in the flour and dry ingredients. Stir to combine to make a batter.
6. Fold the beaten egg whites into the batter: Make sure the batter has been completely stirred or mixed — just stir it gently right before folding in the beaten egg whites. First add in 1/3 of the beaten egg whites (not the entire batch) to the heavier batter to lighten it. Never add the batter to the whipped whites or they'll deflate. Reaching into the center of the bowl with a rubber spatula, cut vertically through the two ingredients. Then, pull the spatula out to the edge and up, gently folding the denser ingredient over the lighter mixture. With your other hand, rotate the bowl as you go. Add in the remaining beaten egg whites, in one or two stages, folding until the batter looks homogenous.
7. When blended, pour into the tube pan and bake 1 to 1-1/4 hours until the top springs back when lightly touched and is a golden color.
Cool the cake up-side-down on a bottle or a metal funnel. When completely cool, run a knife around the sides to release, then pull away from the bottom and run the knife around to release and turn onto a plate.
SERVE
You can serve immediately – this cake is great with fruit and whipped cream, or with a powdered sugar/milk glaze drizzled over the top.
STORAGE
It will keep for about 3 days at room temperature, and 10 days refrigerated. Refrigerate if filled or frosted with perishable items, where it will keep for a few days because the filling and frosting only lasts that long. Chiffon cakes can be frozen for two months or so, but suffer somewhat in texture when thawed. It's best to freeze cake before unmolding from the pan. Wrap pan in foil before doing so.
