Email to Chefmom, Tami L. Smith      

Lemon Chiffon Cake

2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups superfine sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
~~~~~
3/4 cup cold tap water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
zest and juice from 1 lemon
1 tsp lemon extract
5 egg yolks
~~~~~
8 egg whites
1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Preheat the oven to 325°. Have a 10-inch tube pan (angel food cake pan) ready and keep it UNGREASED.

In a large bowl, sift the flour, the sugar, baking powder and salt, set aside. In a separate bowl combine the cold water, oil, zest, juice, extract and the egg yolks. Begin whipping the whites in a separate bowl with the cream of tartar. You want to whip until a softly stiff peak. It should form a peak that just turns over at the top. Mix the egg yolk mixture and then mix into the dry ingredients. Immediately pour the yolk mixture over the whites in three stages and fold gently together.

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 andrun the knife around to release and turn onto a plate.

You can serve immediately, this cake is great with fruit and whipped cream, or with a powdered sugar/milk glaze drizzled over the top. You can also wrap well and freeze for up to 2 months.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Note from Chefmom.....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
History of the Chiffon Cake
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
this is taken from the Betty Crocker Cookbook....

In 1948 Betty Crocker introduced the chiffon cake, hailed as "the cake discovery of the century!" With the help of a mystery ingredient, chiffon cakes combined the lightness of angel food with the richness of butter cake. How was it done--with the addition of salad or vegetable oil. The recipe was the brainchild of Harry Baker, a California insurance salesman, who invented the cake in 1927. He became famous for his cakes in the Los Angeles area and baked them for famous Hollywood restaurants, but would give the recipe to no one.

Harry had listened to Betty Crocker's radio program over the years and decided that she should be the one to share his special cake recipe with other cooks. He traveled to Minneapolis and revealed his secret to Betty Crocker home economists. With his help they added other flavor variations, introducing a new cake idea across the country.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


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!!

But, before you run to the store to grab cake flour and fresh lemons, remember that the Chiffon cake is one of "those" cakes. Many people can take the same recipe and come up with many different cakes. Technique will make it light and airy, spongy, and flavorful. My advise is simple, relax, give yourself time and especially....fold with a light touch and only until you don't see egg whites! Be gentle and you will be rewarded.

After many years of only making this cake for competitions, I was trying to come up with a light spice cake to use with a Pumpkin Cheesecake Mousse recipe. I wanted it light, spongy, but not a sponge cake. Kind of inbetween a butter cake and a sponge cake. Hey, it's already out there!! I simply replaced the lemon juice and zest with the spices from my spice cake recipe. And, I baked this recipe in 2 9x2 round cake pans. If you want to do this, simply cut out rounds of wax or parchment paper for your pans, then spray them with cooking spray and lay them in the bottom. Do not grease the pan itself. Bake the cake and then cool, it will shrink back a bit, then run a knife around the side to release and turn out. Wrap and freeze, or use fresh.

After trying this recipe out, 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. My favorite buttercream is....you guessed it!!! Italian Buttercream!!! Try it, it's a great recipe!