April Showers Chiffon Cake Recipes

APRIL SHOWERS CHIFFON CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 320 degrees F. Place a large tray of water on the lowest rack in the oven.
• For the cloudy sky tier and pink chiffon egg yolk batter: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment, beat the egg yolks and sugar at high speed until pale and thick, about 5 minutes. Decrease the mixer speed to medium and gradually add the oil, water and almond extract. The mixture will become thin. Add the sifted cake flour and fold it into the yolk batter using a rubber spatula. Fold until no streaks of flour remain. Divide the mixture into two portions. Fold the royal blue food color into one portion using a rubber spatula. Leave the other portion untinted. Set aside.
• For the cloudy sky tier and pink chiffon meringue: In a spotlessly clean bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar on high speed until frothy, about 15 seconds. Add half the sugar and beat on high speed until soft peaks form. Add the remaining sugar and beat on high speed just until firm peaks form. Fold half of the meringue and the blue yolk batter together in a large bowl; use a rubber spatula to gently fold the meringue into the batter to prevent the meringue from deflating too much. Mix until no streaks of white meringue remain. In a separate large bowl, fold the remaining meringue into the plain egg yolk batter.
• Pour a small amount of the royal blue batter into the bottom of an ungreased 2-piece 6-inch aluminum chiffon pan so that it covers the bottom (filling the pan to about 1/4 inch). Use a damp paper towel to remove any splatters of batter on the sides of the pan that may result from pouring batter into the pan. With a spoon, dollop mounds of white batter around the sides of the pan to create clouds. Pour blue batter over the cloud portion until the batter is level. Repeat spooning for another cloud layer. You will have leftover white batter; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for future use. Pour in a final layer of blue batter. Rap the bottom of the pan on a work surface to remove any large air pockets.
• Bake for 15 minutes, and then decrease the oven temperature to 280 degrees F and bake for 20 minutes more. The cake is done when a toothpick tester inserted near the center comes out clean. Turn the cake upside down on a wire rack to cool completely. When the cake is cool, gently push the cake away from the pan's edges using your hands. When the edges are free, remove the cake with the center tube piece attached. Run a small knife around the top edge of the cake to loosen it from the tube. Set the cake aside, uncovered.
• Increase the oven temperature to 320 degrees F. Line a large jelly roll pan (15-by-10-inch or larger) with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Remove the reserved white batter from the refrigerator and add the pink gel food color. Fold it into the batter using a rubber spatula. The mixture will be thinner than when it was first mixed. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly to 1/4 inch thick. Bake for 15 minutes. Let cool completely before peeling the chiffon cake sheet away from the parchment.
• Check the water level in the tray on the lowest rack in the oven. Refill using a teakettle or large pitcher, if needed. Make sure the oven is still preheated to 320 degrees F.
• For the blue sky and grass tier egg yolk batter: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment, beat the egg yolks and sugar at high speed until pale and thick, about 5 minutes. Decrease the mixer speed to medium and gradually add the oil, water and almond extract. The mixture will become thin. Add the sifted cake flour and fold it into the yolk batter using a rubber spatula. Fold until no streaks of flour remain. Divide the mixture into two portions. Fold the sky blue food color into one portion using a rubber spatula. Tint the other portion with the green food color. Set aside.
• For the blue sky and grass tier meringue: In a spotlessly clean bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar on high speed until frothy, about 15 seconds. Add half the sugar and beat on high speed until soft peaks form. Add the remaining sugar and beat on high speed just until firm peaks form. Fold half of the meringue and the sky blue yolk batter together in a large bowl; use a rubber spatula to gently fold the meringue into the batter to prevent the meringue from deflating too much. Mix until no streaks of white meringue remain. In a separate large bowl, fold the remaining meringue into the green egg yolk batter.
• Pour the sky blue batter into the bottom of an ungreased 2-piece 9-inch aluminum chiffon pan. Use a damp paper towel to remove any splatters of batter on the sides of the pan that may result from pouring batter in the pan. Pour the green layer on top of the blue layer. Rap the bottom of the pan on a work surface 2 to 3 times to remove any large air pockets.
• Bake for 15 minutes, and then decrease the oven temperature to 280 degrees F and bake for 20 minutes more. Decrease the temperature again to 260 degrees F and bake for 10 more minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick tester inserted near the center comes out clean. Turn the cake upside down on a wire rack to cool completely. When the cake is cool, gently push the cake away from the pan's edges using your hands. When the edges are free, remove the cake with the center tube piece attached. Run a small knife around the top edge of the cake to loosen it from the tube. Set the cake aside, uncovered.
• For the cake assembly: Level the cakes if needed. Place the 9-inch layer with the green side down onto a cake stand or serving plate. Center the 6-inch cake on the top center of the 9-inch cake.
• Place white sprinkles vertically on the sides of the top tier to create a rain shower effect. The sides of the cake should be naturally sticky and the sprinkles will adhere easily. If the sprinkles do not adhere naturally, lightly mist the cake with water using a kitchen-dedicated spray bottle. Let stand 5 minutes or until the sides of the cake are tacky when touched. Proceed with decorating.
• Use a 1.5-inch flower-shaped cookie cutter or fondant plunger cutter to stamp 16 to 18 shapes from the pink chiffon cake sheet. Place the marshmallow cream or frosting in a squeeze bottle or piping bag with a tiny hole cut in the end. Pipe a small amount into the center of each flower and place a yellow confetti sprinkle on top. Pipe dots on the outside of the bottom cake and attach the chiffon flowers.
• Serve the cake immediately, or cover loosely with plastic wrap and store at room temperature.

PECAN PIE CHIFFON CAKE

Steps:

• Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 325˚ F. Separate the eggs; put the whites in one large bowl and the yolks in another. Let stand at room temperature to warm up while you assemble all the other ingredients, about 30 minutes. (Be prepared to make the cake batter without stopping so the eggs don't deflate.)
• Add the cream of tartar to the egg whites and beat with a mixer on medium speed until thickened and starting to turn white, 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually beat in 1/2 cup granulated sugar, then increase the speed to medium high and beat until the egg whites are glossy, thick and hold stiff peaks but are not dry, about 5 more minutes. Set aside while making the rest of the batter (don't do this ahead of time or the egg whites will deflate).
• Add the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar to the egg yolks along with the brown sugar. Beat with the mixer (no need to wash the beaters) until smooth and lightened in color, about 2 minutes. Beat in the vegetable oil and vanilla until smooth and thick, then beat in the milk (the batter will be thin). Add the flour, ground pecans, baking powder and salt and beat on low speed until thoroughly combined.
• Add about one-third of the beaten egg whites to the batter and fold in with a rubber spatula until combined. Add the remaining egg whites and continue to fold until no white streaks remain. Pour into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan or angel food cake pan and run the spatula around the center of the batter to create a line where excess air can escape as the cake rises.
• Bake the cake until the top is golden and springs back when touched and a long skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and immediately turn the cake upside down over the slim neck of a bottle (if your pan has feet, use those instead). Let cool completely. Use a thin spatula to loosen the cake around the sides and middle of the pan. Turn out onto a platter.
• Make the glaze: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the pecans and cook, stirring, until lightly toasted, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the brown sugar, heavy cream, corn syrup and salt and carefully stir to combine. Continue to cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens slightly and starts to pull away from the sides of the pan when stirring, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool and thicken, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.
• When the glaze has thickened but is still pourable, spoon it over the cake, letting it drip down the sides. As the glaze cools, use the spoon or spatula to spread some of the pecans that fell down onto the top and sides. Let stand, at least 30 minutes.

CHIFFON CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Wash a 10 inch angel food tube pan in hot soapy water to ensure it is totally grease free.
• Measure flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into sifter. Sift into bowl. Make a well; add oil, egg yolks, water, vanilla, and lemon flavoring to the well in the order that is given. Set aside. Don't beat.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until very stiff. Set aside.
• Using same beaters, beat egg yolk batter until smooth and light. Pour gradually over egg whites, folding in with rubber spatula. Do not stir. Pour batter into angel food tube pan.
• Bake for 55 minutes. Increase heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and bake 10 to 15 minutes until done. Invert pan until cool.