Wednesday, August 30, 2006

chiffon cakes with raspberry drizzle icing

adapted from a Martha Stewart Living Magazine recipe

I adjusted the recipe slightly from the original, using cake flour (Martha’s used all-purpose) and the lemon juice and vinegar (I had to substitute cream of tartar, since I didn’t have any; if you do, use 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar instead.) Also, I used a mini bundt pan instead of a large 6-tin muffin pan, and made raspberry icing instead of violet (that called for violet flavoring, which I didn’t even attempt to look for). I don’t know about the original, but these cakes were amazing; not too sweet with a subtle citrus taste. The icing was a bit sweet for my taste; I think I would probably leave out a 1/4 cup from the second addition of sugar (also, if you do, use less milk, since I only used extra to mellow the sweetness.) The original called for 1 1/4 cups confectioners sugar for the second addition, so maybe that made the difference. Nonetheless, the combination of the light, fluffy cakes and the sugary sweet icing was perfect. Definitely something I’ll make again.

Chiffon Cakes (makes 6 small cakes)
you will also need a 6-cake bundt pan. i got this one at williams-sonoma.
1 cup cake flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large egg yolks, plus 4 large egg whites
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon white rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
Preheat oven to 325°. Butter each bundt cup (this might take a while to get all the corners, especially if its detailed, but that’s what I did, and the cakes came out great); set bundt pan aside. Whisk flour, 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, the baking powder, and salt in a bowl; set aside.

Whisk 1/3 cup water, egg yolks, oil, lemon zest, and vanilla in another bowl. Whisk into flour mixture until combined.

Put egg whites, vinegar and lemon juice into a bowl; beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until foamy. Gradually add in remaining 2 tablespoons sugar; beat until soft peaks form. Fold one-third of egg-white mixture into batter, then fold in remaining egg-white mixture. Divide evenly among buttered cups.

Bake until golden and puffed, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool completely in tin on a wire rack. Once cool, turn the pan out onto a serving plate or container, mindful that the cakes will fall out.

Raspberry Drizzle Icing (makes about 1 1/3 cups)
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup whole milk, plus 1/3 cup

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup plus 2 teaspoons Splenda Baking Blend
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 pint fresh raspberries, well mashed (with juice)
Bring granulated sugar, 1/2 cup milk, and butter to a boil in a medium pan over medium-high heat, whisking until smooth. Remove from heat. Let cool 10 minutes. Whisk in Splenda blend, salt, and mashed raspberries. Stir in 1/3 cup milk (or more, to taste, because without it, its very sugary.) Use to top chiffon cakes. The icing will keep for several days if stored in an airtight container and refrigerated.

Enjoy!