In the Oven: Lady Praline Chiffon Cake

Baked Sunday Mornings is having a giveaway to celebrate the release of Baked Elements! Win a cool Baked package of goodies including a Baked t-shirt, tote and packaged mixes – all courtesy of Matt and Renato (thanks, Baked!).

Earn an entry into the contest by baking and posting with us on September 16 – we’re starting with the Brookster, from Baked Elements.

And if you want to earn another entry, bake and post this Lady Praline Chiffon Cake, as part of our continuing effort from Baked Explorations. Posting date is September 9th.

NOTE : there’s an error in this recipe in the first printing of Explorations. It says to fold in the orange zest with the egg yolk and flour mixture. Then in the next paragraph it says to add the zest to the egg whites. The correct instruction is to add the orange zest to the yolk and flour mixture.

Lady Praline Chiffon Cake
Baked Explorations p. 149

1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 egg yolks plus 1 egg
1 tablespoon pecan liquor
3/4 cup vegetable oil
5 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
zest of 1 small to medium orange

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. In a medium bowl, use your hands to run the dark brown sugar into the granulated sugar until all lumps are gone and the sugars are combined. In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt together. Whisk the sugar mixture into the flour mixture.

In another bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, the egg, and liqueur until smooth. Stir in the oil and 1/2 cup water until combined. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the wet  mixture into it. Use a rubber spatula to fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, add the orange zest, and fold until just combined. Do not overmix.

In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites, cream of tartar, until stiff peaks form. Do not overbeat. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter and pour it into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan, with a removable bottom.

Bake the cake for 50 to 60 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Invert the pan over a wire rack to cool completely, about 2 hours. (If the cake has risen above the top of the pan, invert it onto the neck of a bottle to hold it aloft.) To release the cake, run an offset metal spatula along the inner and outer edges of the pan. Sprinkle the wire rack with a little confectioners’ sugar so the cake will not stick, and place the cake on the rack. Sprinkle slices with confectioners’ sugar before serving.

Excerpted from Baked Explorations: Classic American Desserts Reinvented by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Copyright © 2010 by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Excerpted by permission of Stewart, Tabori & Chang, an imprint of Abrams. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.