Chiffon Cake

What to make when your husband leaves a carton of eggs out on the counter by accident?  That's how this one came about today :-)  Not a mistake, but a "happy accident" (thanks Bob Ross).  We served it with macerated mixed berries and a little powdered sugar.  Light, airy and delicious!


Here's the recipe!



Chiffon Cake
courtesy of Cooks Country (PBS)


5 eggs, separated
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/3 cups cake flour
1 cup and 6 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon vanilla extract


Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Place egg whites along with cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Whip with the whisk attachment on medium-high speed until it reaches soft peaks.  Continuing on medium-high, gradually add 2 tablespoons of sugar and whip the whites until they are just stiff and glossy.


In a large bowl, combine the cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt with a whisk.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the yolks, oil, water, and vanilla.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix (with the whisk) until just smooth.


Whisk 1/3 of the whipped egg whites into the batter to lighten it up.  Then add the remaining whites, a few spoonfuls at a time, and gently fold in.  Avoid over-folding so do not fully incorporate one installment of whites before adding the next.  


When all the whites have been folded in, pour the batter into the untreated angel food cake pan.  Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.


Turn the cake upside down (over a bottle if your pan does not have "legs") and cool for about 3 hours.  Remove the cake by running a knife around the pan, angling the knife towards the pan to try and get the full crust on the cake.