I Bake a Creamsicle Chiffon Cake

News at 11 right?  Here’s how it happened.  I was contacted by journalist Kimberly Stevens who was doing research for a KCET story on Harry Baker and his invention of the chiffon cake back in the late 1920’s in right here in Los Angeles.  Did you know the chiffon cake was born here in LA?  I didn’t either.  So she wanted to talk to me about the cake.  I couldn’t remember the last time I ate one and I knew that I never made one.  My desire to be a good interview subject combined with my natural curiosity to push me out the door to Sur la Table to purchase a tube pan and an oven thermometer.  I knew my oven runs hot and the wrong temperature would be disastrous for this delicate cake.

Now I should let you know that although I’m a good pie maker I do not have a great track record when it comes to cakes.  The texture is never right.  Sometimes I get the top seven-eighths of the layer okay but the bottom one-eighth is like sludge.  However, this was miraculous.  The cake was easy and enjoyable to make.  I used a Cook’s Illustrated recipe because why not and a made a couple of tweaks.  Now I’m in love with chiffon cake.  It’s spongy and moist, light but with some richness, the perfect intermediate between the rich denseness of pound cake and the too-sugary air of angel food cake.

I love the combo of orange and vanilla, ergo creamsicle, right?  It’s so good.  And now with local citrus in plentiful supply at our farmers markets it’s the perfect time.  And if you’re worried that you can’t eat the whole thing?  Don’t worry because this cake is so moist it had magical lasting power.  I’m into the sixth day and it’s still perfect.

Creamsicle Chiffon Cake

Ingredients
1 orange or tangerine
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/3 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large eggs left whole
5 large eggs white and yolk separated
3/4 cups water
1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
1-2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon white vinegar

Instructions
1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare tube pan with non stick spray or rub with butter.

2. Wash the orange or tangerine. Use a sharp paring knife to cut 2-3 one inch strips of orange zest being careful to take only the zest and none of the pith. If you’re using a tangerine just peel it and use the half of the peel. Don’t worry about the pith. With tangerines it’s not so bitter.

3. Put sugar in your food processor with steel blade. Add the strips of orange zest or the tangerine peel and process until zest is broken down and mixed nearly completely with the sugar. If the rind isn’t tender you won’t get complete breakdown which is ok.

4. Whisk citrus sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt together in large bowl (at least 4-quart size). Whisk in the two whole eggs and five egg yolks, water, oil, and vanilla extract until batter is just smooth. (I did this by hand – so easy)

5. Pour egg whites into large bowl; beat at medium speed with electric mixer until foamy, about 1 minute. Add vinegar, (I get better results with vinegar then cream of tartar) increase speed to medium-high, then beat whites until very thick and stiff, just short of dry. With large rubber spatula, fold whites into batter, smearing in any blobs of white that resist blending with flat side of spatula. (I didn’t smear ergo the carbuncles you see on the top of the cake).

6. Pour batter into large tube pan (9-inch diameter, 16-cup capacity). Rap pan against countertop five times to rupture any large air pockets. If using two-piece pan, grasp on both sides with your hands while firmly pressing down on the tube with thumbs to keep batter from seeping underneath pan during this rapping process. Wipe off any batter that may have dripped or splashed onto inside walls of pan with paper towel.

7. Bake cake until wire cake tester or bamboo skewer inserted in center comes out clean, 55 to 65 minutes. Immediately turn cake upside down to cool. (I was afraid to do this but I did and it didn’t fall out of the pan!) If pan does not have prongs around rim for elevating cake, invert pan over bottle or funnel, inserted through tube. Let cake hang until completely cold, about 2 hours. (You do this to maintain the height. The foamy structure of the cake is so fragile that if left right side up while hot it would sink into itself).

8. To unmold, turn pan upright. Run frosting spatula or thin knife around pan’s circumference between cake and pan wall, always pressing against the pan. Use cake tester to loosen cake from tube. For one-piece pan, bang it on counter several times, then invert over serving plate. For two-piece pan, grasp tube and lift cake out of pan. If glazing the cake, use a fork or a paring knife to gently scrape all the crust off the cake. Loosen cake from pan bottom with spatula or knife, then invert cake onto plate. (Can be wrapped in plastic and stored at room temperature 2 days or refrigerated 4 days.)

Creamsicle Icing

Ingredients
4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
4 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon vanilla extract or paste
2 cups sifted confectioner’s sugar, yes you really have to sift it before measuring

Instructions
1. Stir together butter, juice, extract and sugar in medium bowl until smooth. Let glaze stand 1 minute, then try spreading a little on cake. If cake threatens to tear, thin glaze with up to 1 tablespoon more juice. A little at a time, spread glaze over cake top, letting excess dribble down sides. Let cake stand until glaze dries, about 30 minutes. If you like, spread dribbles to make a thin, smooth coat.