Cosmic cake: Sweet success could start the great chiffon revolution
Chiffon cakes are, as the originator Harry Baker opined, "something cosmic." A chiffon cake is in the family of aerated, egg-based foam cakes -- like sponges and angel food cakes -- all sky-high and light. With the addition of oil, a chiffon cake bakes up into one of the most versatile cakes in the baking repertoire. They're great with a simple glaze; they can be cut in half and filled with flavored whipped cream, mascarpone or custard; or used instead of ladyfingers in a Charlotte cake or a trifle.
Olive oil cakes are having a well-deserved resurgence. Olives are a fruit, after all, and although we think of it with savory Mediterranean foods, its underlying sweetness makes it a wonderful choice for baking when you want the flavor to sing. Meyer lemons are a very special fruit, with their famously smooth and orange-tinged skin, they still pack a tart, lemony wallop. Together the pairing just works.
Chiffon cakes aren't common anymore, but maybe, just maybe, this recipe can help restart the great chiffon revolution.
Meyer Lemon-Olive Oil Chiffon Cake
Makes 1 cake
2 1/4 cups (279 grams) cake flour
1 tablespoon (15 grams) double-acting baking powder
1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) salt
6 Meyer lemons (1 pound)
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