February 12, 2018

Chocolate Chiffon Cake

Minnesota State Fair

Chocolate Chiffon Cake 1

Make this blue ribbon winning chocolate chiffon cake and you will have a divine dessert on your hands.

Gwendolyn Swenson won “grand cake of the of fair” honors with it at the 2014 Minnesota State Fair. Cake flour and whipped egg whites give it an amazing light texture. We’re a big fan of canola oil and it works really well in this state fair winning cake. Gwen’s version came from the Taste of Home magazine. We only made a few tweaks overall, for clarity in the directions. We added the chocolate shavings on top as well.

For a family brunch recently, I pulled this recipe from the archives and Crystal baked it. It was a hit and I hope you get baking and enjoy it as well.

-Cyndi

 

Chocolate Chiffon Cake

1 3/4 cups cake flour

1 3/4 cups sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup baking cocoa

3/4 cup hot water

7 eggs yolks, room temperature

1/2 cup canola oil

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

7 eggs whites, room temperature

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

 

Icing/Topping:

1/3 cup butter

2 cups powdered sugar

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3 to 4 tablespoons hot water

1-2 ounces semi sweet chocolate bar

 

Cake: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine the cake flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Separately, combine the cocoa and hot water, whisking until smooth. Add it to the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the canola oil and vanilla. Add this to the flour mixture as well. Beat all until well blended. Next, in a large bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar on high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into the cake batter mixture. Spoon batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan. With a thin knife, cut through the batter with a knife to remove air pockets.

Bake on lowest rack at 325° for 60-65 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Invert onto cooling rack. Cool completely. Gently flip the pan over. Run a knife around insides and center tube of pan. Invert onto a serving plate.

Icing/Topping: Melt butter in a saucepan. Stir in powdered sugar, chocolate, vanilla, and water. Drizzle over cake. Make chocolate shavings with the chocolate bar (vegetable peeler works great) and sprinkle them on top.

Makes up to 20 slices.

-Recipe (adapted) from Gwendolyn Swenson, 2014 Minnesota State Fair