Tonight I traveled to the West, specifically Hollywood, California with Martha’s Orange Chiffon Cake from page 397.
I used clementines to make this cake, which is a variety of the mandarin orange. They’re in season now and their juice is very sweet and perfect for this batter. The chiffon cake gets its light and airy texture by separating the egg yolks and whites and folding whipped egg whites into the batter. This makes it a little more complicated to make than your standard cake but it’s certainly worth the effort.
I don’t have angel food cake pan so I used my Bundt pan instead. Various websites warned me that the results would be disastrous and I would never be able to remove the cake from the pan in one piece. I decided to take my chances and it turned out fine. I buttered the pan well and put a thin layer of flour over it to avoid sticking and when I inverted the pan it slid right out in one piece. It probably would have been taller had I used the correct pan, but the taste was still terrific and it definitely had the correct texture for a chiffon cake. I always believe that when it comes to cooking you need to work with what you have and try to make the best of it. One of these days when I get an angel food cake pan I’ll try this again and compare the results.
This cake was extra good with a dollop of fresh whipped cream and some candied orange zest. There’s something about the sweet and tart taste of an orange that goes particularly well with cream. Martha’s orange chiffon cake would be great for entertaining — but don’t expect leftovers for the next day because it’s sure to disappear fast!
