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Lemon Chiffon Cake

This recipe is not only delicious, its bounty runneth over. In its unadulterated form, it makes one 10” cake from an Angel Food pan, or four 6” cakes plus a 10” Charlotte cake, or six 6” cakes.  A 10” tube pan will also work, but you’ll have extra batter. That’s what comes from a recipe containing eight eggs!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 8 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
  • 1/2 tsp cream of tartar or fresh lemon juice
  • 240 g or 2 c unbleached, all-purpose flour
  • 14 g or 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 300 g or 1 ½ c granulated sugar
  • 6 g or 1 tsp fine sea salt
  • 100 g or ½ c vegetable oil
  • 227 g or 1 c water
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp grated fresh lemon peel (from one lemon)
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice (from 1/3 of one lemon)

Instructions

 

  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the egg whites and cream of tartar or ½ tsp lemon juice. Whip until very stiff.
  3. If you have another bowl for your mixer, attach it to the machine. If not, remove the egg whites to a separate bowl, place the mixer bowl back on the machine (no need to wash) and switch to the paddle attachment.
  4. Add the sifted flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt and mix briefly to combine.
  5. Add (in order) the oil, water, egg yolks, vanilla, grated lemon peel, and 1 tbsp lemon juice. Mix until smooth; scrape the bowl and mix for 30 seconds more. Remove the bowl from the mixer.
  6. Fold one-quarter of the beaten whites into the flour/egg yolk mixture to lighten, then gently fold in the rest in four additions until just blended each time. Pour the batter into the pan(s).
  7. Bake the cake(s) for 40 minutes (55 minutes for 10” cake), then increase the oven temperature to 350°F and bake until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (5 minutes; 10-15 for 10” cake).
  8. Remove the cake(s) from the oven and cool upside down on the feet or over the neck of a bottle.
  9. When completely cool, ease a thin-bladed metal spatula between the cake(s) and the pan(s) before removing from the pans.
  10. Serve garnished with whipped cream and fruit compote, fresh berries or peach slices.

Notes

Chiffon and Angel Food Cakes require a surface on which to climb to preserve their loft. Do not grease the pan. Yes, it makes for messy cleanup. Soak the pans in soapy water, then rub with a dishcloth and/or brush gently and diligently. The pans clean up nicely, but it does take a few minutes.

The fluted pans are available from the Web Restaurant Store, of which I cannot speak highly enough. The pan bottoms are detachable; fluted parts and bottoms nest separately for storage.

The Charlotte pan is available from Amazon and King Arthur Bakery. 

  • Author: Helen Kain's adaption of Amy Colvin & King Arthur Bakery