Vanilla Chiffon Cake

The simplicity and elegance of this cake lends itself to being complimented with a variety of spring blossoms, berries and sweetened whipped cream. Edible blossoms include wild rose petals, lilac blossoms, dandelion flowers, pansy flowers and apple blossoms. These blossoms can decorate the cake after a thin butter cream icing. Chiffon cake is perfect to welcome spring and for celebrations such as birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, barbeques or just because it’s spring!

Chiffon cake is angel food cakes taller and more delicate sister. Like the angel food, baking a chiffon cake requires strict adherence to all the steps and the order they come in for successful results. There must be absolute no egg yolk in the egg white mixture, because even the smallest amount will prevent the eggs from whipping properly. Also the beaters used to beat the egg yolk mixture must be thoroughly washed and rinsed to remove any trace of egg yolk before they are used for whipping the egg white. This is my own special recipe, for perhaps one of my very best cakes. It is tall, slightly spongy, moist and well worth the extra effort. I hope you enjoy it.

Vanilla Chiffon Cake

10 egg whites at room temp for 30

minutes

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

5 egg yolks

1/2 cup safflower oil

1 cup water

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups cake flour

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. This is a three bowl cake. Carefully separate the whites from 10 eggs that have sat out at room temperature for 30 minutes. In the first bowl, a large one, place the 5 egg yolks and with an electric mixer, beat the oil into the eggs a teaspoon at a time. Add the vanilla and slowly add the water to the egg yolk mixture while beating. In a separate bowl sift together the cake flour, 1 cup of sugar, the salt and baking powder. Add the flour mixture into the egg yolk mixture a quarter at a time. Continue beating until well blended. In a separate bowl beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar. Continue to beat until very soft peaks. Slowly add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and continue to beat, all the while ensuring that the egg whites are at the soft peak stage (the peak flops over). Gently stir one third of the egg white mixture into the egg yolk batter, until just blended. Gently fold the remaining egg white mixture into the egg yolk batter. Pour into a tube pan and bake for 60-70 minutes. Invert the pan while cooling and allow cooling completely before removing from the pan. Frost with a slightly thinned vanilla butter cream icing. It would be pretty to garnish the cake with fresh wild rose petals, which by the way are edible.