Lemon Chiffon Cake

I didn't get to make my all time favorite birthday cake for my birthday. Robert was working afternoons and he kept commenting about who would eat this huge cake. Naturally, I could eat the whole thing over a few days. Last night we had the missionaries come for dinner and it was the perfect time to make my cake, a month late. It turned out spectacularly. I know basically no one else in the family likes this particular cake but I'm posting the recipe anyway.

The pictures isn't the greatest but:
Plus following this recipe is a recipe for the same cake but only with orange...as well as a recipe for candied zest to use as a decorative touch.

Lemon Glow Chiffon Cake
	2-1/4 cups sifted cake flour 1-1/2 cups sugar 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup safflower oil 7 large eggs, eseparated, + 3 additional egg yolks 2/3 cup water 2 Tbs lemon juice, freshly squeezed 1 Tbs grated lemon zest 1 teaspoon vanilla 1-1/4 teaspoons cream of tartar 1 Preheat oven to 325° 2 In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, all but 2 T of the sugar (reserve for egg whites), baking soda, and salt and beat 1 minute to mix. Make a well in the center. Add the oil, egg yolks, water, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla and beat 1 minute or until smooth 3 In another large mixing bowl beat the egg whites until frothy, add the cream of tartar, and beat until soft peaks form when the beater is raised. Beat in the 2 T sugar and beat until stiff peakds form when the beater is raised slowly. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter WITH A LARGE BALLOON WIRE WHISK. 4 Pour into the tube pan and run a small metal spatula or knife through the batter to prevent air pockets, and bake for 55 minutes or til a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean and the cake springs back when lightly pressed in the center. Invert the pan, placing the tube opening over the neck of a soda or wine bottle to suspend it well above the counter, and cool the cake completely in the pan (this takes about 1-1/2 hours) 5 Loose the sides with a long metal spatula and remove the center core of pan. Dislodge the bottom and center core with a metal spatula or thin, sharp knife (w wire cake tester works well around the coare. To keep th4e sides attracftive press the spatula against the sides of the pan and avoid any up and down motion). Invert onto a greased wire rack and reinvert onto a serving plate. Wrap airtight. Cooking Tips Baking soda replaces baking powder to retain the lemon flavor while neutralzing some of the acidity.

Orange Glow Chiffon Cake

from the Cake Bible: rose levy beranbaumWhen Harry Baker, an LA insarnace salesman who baked for private Hollywood parties, invented the chiffon cake, it was the first major new type of cake since the angel food cake, invented about 100 years before it. He kept the recipe a secret for 20 years and finally, deciding to share it with the world, approached Betty Crocker, owned by General Mills. They purchased the recipe in 1947 and billed it as 'glamorous as an angel food cake but easier to make. 2-1/4 cups sifted cake flour 1-1/2 cups sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup safflower oil 7 large eggs, separated + 3 additional whites 3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice 2 Tbs grated orange zest 1 teaspoon vanilla 1-1/4 teaspoons cream of tartar 1 Preheat oven to 325° 2 In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, all but 2 T of the sugar (reserve for the egg whites), baking powder, and salt and beat 1 minute to mix. Make a well in the center. Add the oil, egg yolks, orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla and beat 1 minute or until smooth. 3 In another large mixing bowl beat the egg whites til frothy, add the cream of tartar, and beat until soft peaks form when the beater is raised. Beat in the remaining 2 T. sugar and beat until stiff peaks form when the beater is raised slowly. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter WITH A LARGE BALLOON WIRE WHISK, just until blended 4 Pour into the tube pan, run a small metal spatula or knife through the batter to oprevent air pockets, and bake for 55 minutes or til a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean and the cake springs back when lightly pressed in the center. Invert the pan, placing the tube opening over the neck of a soda or wine bottle to suspend it well over the counter, and cool the cake completely in the pan (this will take about 1-1/2 hours) 5 Loosen the sides with a long metal spatula and remove the center core of the pan. Dislodge the bottom and center core with a metal spatula or thin, sharp knife. (a wire cake test works well around the core. To keep the sides attractive, press the spatula against the sides of the pan and avoid any up and down motion.) Invert onto a greased wire rack and reinvert onto a serving plate. 6 Wrap airtight.

Candied Zest
	citrus peel makes a flavorful and attractive decorative touch when cut into fine strips and sweeted in a sugar syrup. This candied zest is particularly suited to decorating a cake containing citrus fruit 3 large thick-skinned oranges 1 cup sugar 1 cup water 1 Tbs corn syrup 1 With a sharp knife remove strips of peel, avoiding the bitter white pith beneath. 2 Place in a saucepan of boiling water and simmer 15 minutes to soften and remove bitterness. Drain and rinse under cold water 3 In the same saucepan combine the sugar, water, and corn syrup and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Stop stirring, add the zest, and cover tightly. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes without stirring or uncovering. Remove from teh heat and cool, covered. 4 Refrigerate the candied zest in the syrup in an airtight container up to 1 month. When ready to use, drain the zest. Cooking Tips store for 1 month refrigerated