Retro to nouveau
Heralded as “the first new cake in 100 years” when it was introduced, the chiffon cake — one of the darlings of midcentury cuisine — became famous for its wonderfully light and airy texture, seemingly weightless as angel food but with a moist tenderness almost like a rich butter cake. And the delicate creation was originally developed by a Los Angeles insurance salesman.
Though it may seem like a Betty Crocker-era relic, the cake is as relevant today as it was when it first revolutionized the baking world more than half a century ago. Chiffon is really a simple cake to make, lending itself to a host of flavor possibilities and accents. Try a classic orange variation, but complement the flavors a little with rich hazelnuts. Fold cacao nibs into a chocolate cake for extra depth and crunch. Or look to Southeast Asian flavors for inspiration with a fragrant pandan coconut chiffon cake. The options seem endless.
Harry Baker is the salesman who came up with the original formula in the late 1920s. He moonlighted as a caterer and was soon baking the popular creation for the Hollywood elite. He even sold cakes to the Brown Derby, which featured the dessert on its menu.
Baker kept his original formula secret for decades. Finally, in the late 1940s, he sold the recipe to Betty Crocker's parent company, General Mills.
General Mills fine-tuned the method and ingredients over 11 months and released the chiffon recipe in 1948. With a heavy marketing campaign, it wasn't long before the cake became a national sensation.
Chiffon was certainly a new kind of cake. A type of sponge cake, chiffon uses whipped egg whites for its light and airy “lift,” giving it the look and feel of angel food. But to give it that almost buttery richness — and the moist crumb not normally found in a sponge cake — chiffon included a unique ingredient for cakes at the time: vegetable oil. Oil, unlike butter, remains liquid at room temperature, keeping the cake moist and tender.
Best of all, the method is simple, requiring a handful of basic ingredients and a few kitchen tools.
Because of that light structure, chiffon cakes work best lightly garnished. Don't weigh the cake down with a heavy frosting. Dust the cake with powdered sugar, maybe a little sweetened cocoa powder. Or leave the cake alone, sliced thin and served with a dollop of freshly whipped cream and fresh berries.
And with such a simple method, the cake easily lends itself to a little creativity.
2 cups (8 ounces) cake flour1½ cups sugar, divided2½ teaspoons baking powder¾ teaspoon salt7 eggs separated, plus 2 egg whites¼cup vegetable oil¼ cup hazelnut oil¾ cup orange juice1 teaspoon vanilla extract1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest½ cup chopped hazelnuts¾ teaspoon cream of tartarHeat the oven to 325 degrees.In a large bowl, sift together the cake flour, 1Z\v cups sugar, baking powder and salt. Whisk the dry ingredients well to make sure they are thoroughly combined. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks. Pour the egg yolks into the well, along with the vegetable and hazelnut oils, orange juice, vanilla and orange zest. Beat the wet ingredients into the dry until completely smooth. Fold in the chopped hazelnuts.In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy. With the mixer running, slowly rain in the remaining one-fourth cup sugar. Continue to beat the whites until stiff peaks form when the beater is lifted.Fold the beaten whites into the rest of the batter: Gently spoon one-third of the beaten egg whites into the large bowl with the batter. Slowly and carefully fold the whites into the batter using a spatula or whisk until mixed. Add another third of the beaten whites to the bowl and gently fold into the batter. Be very gentle as you fold in the whites as you do not want to deflate them; the whites lighten the batter, and are largely responsible for the cake's ability to rise as it bakes. Gently fold in the remaining third of the whites.Spoon or gently pour the batter into a 10-inch ungreased angel food cake pan. Place the pan in the oven and bake until the cake is puffed (it should rise over the top of the pan by 2 to 3 inches but will deflate a little as it cools), lightly browned on top, and a toothpick or cake tester inserted comes out clean, about 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes.Remove from heat and invert the pan over a wine or soda bottle. Set the pan aside in a quiet place until cooled completely 1 to 2 hours.Loosen the sides with a thin knife or metal spatula and tap it gently to remove the cake (if using a two-piece pan, loosen the outside of the pan to remove, then gently work the knife or spatula along the top of the insert and inside to remove the cake) before serving.Note: This recipe calls for a 10-inch angel food cake pan (preferably a pan with a removable insert).
For chocolate glaze¼ cup (½ stick) butter½ cup heavy cream½cup water¾ teaspoon vanilla extract3 tablespoons corn syrupPinch salt1 pound bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (chips or finely diced)In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, cream, water, vanilla, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a good simmer over high heat. Remove from heat. Stir (do not whisk) in the chocolate until melted and combined.This makes about 2¼ cups glaze, which will thicken as it cools. Rewarm slightly to thin, or stir in a little extra cream to reach the desired consistency. The glaze will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 1 week.For chocolate chiffon cake and assembly1½ cups (6 ounces) cake flour½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder2 tablespoons instant espresso1½ cups sugar, divided2½ teaspoons baking powder¾ teaspoon salt7 eggs separated, plus 2 egg whites½ cup vegetable oil¾ cup milk1 teaspoon vanilla extract½ cup cacao nibs¾ teaspoon cream of tartarChocolate glazeHeat the oven to 325 degrees.In a large bowl, sift together the cake flour, cocoa, instant espresso, 1¼ cups sugar, baking powder and salt. Whisk the dry ingredients well to make sure they are thoroughly combined. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks. Pour the egg yolks into the well, along with the vegetable oil, milk and vanilla. Beat the wet ingredients into the dry until completely smooth. Stir in the cacao nibs.In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy. With the mixer running, slowly rain in the remaining one-fourth cup sugar. Continue to beat the whites until stiff peaks form when the beater is lifted.Fold the beaten whites into the rest of the batter: Gently spoon one-third of the beaten egg whites into the large bowl with the batter. Slowly and carefully fold the whites into the batter using a spatula or whisk until mixed. Add another third of the beaten whites to the bowl and gently fold into the batter. Be very gentle as you fold in the whites as you do not want to deflate them; the whites lighten the batter and are largely responsible for the cake’s ability to rise as it bakes. Gently fold in the remaining third of the whites.Spoon or gently pour the batter into a 10-inch ungreased angel food cake pan. Place the pan in the oven and bake until the cake is puffed (it should rise over the top of the pan by 2 to 3 inches, but will deflate a little as it cools), lightly browned on top, and a toothpick or cake tester inserted comes out clean, about 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes.Remove from heat and invert the pan over a wine or soda bottle. Set the pan aside until it has cooled completely, 1 to 2 hours.Loosen the sides with a thin knife or metal spatula and tap it gently to remove the cake (if using a two-piece pan, loosen the outside of the pan to remove, then gently work the knife or spatula along the top of the insert and inside to remove the cake).Drizzle the warm glaze over the top of the cake as desired (you may not use all of the glaze).Note: This recipe calls for a 10-inch angel food cake pan (preferably a pan with a removable insert).
