This cake is from Claudia's Cookbook. I bookmarked it over a year ago; it was time I made it. I know a good cake when I see one. Since I might not be as good a baker as Claudia, I lined the bottom of my cake pan. Don’t you just hate it when a chiffon cake looses its bottom?
I made my buttercream from scratch though. I don’t use anything packaged, unless I really, really have to. The lemon juice and the salt are essential components of this buttercream. They effectively neutralize the sweetness plus give a bit of extra punch to the flavour. I have yet to try using salted butter, salted butter in my experience don’t seem to work with buttercreams.
1/2 cup poppy seeds
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
3 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
7 egg yolks
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
7 egg whites
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
• Soak the poppy seeds in 1 cup water for 2 hours.
• Line the bottom only of a 10-inch two-piece tube pan with parchment.
• Don’t line the sides.
• Place the sugar, flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
• Whisk it well with a balloon whisk.
• Make a well in the center.
• Add the egg yolks, vanilla, the poppy seeds - water mixture and the vegetable oil.
• Beat to combine.
• In a separate large bowl, beat the egg whites, baking soda and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form.
• Gradually and very gently fold the beaten egg whites into the poppy seed batter.
• Pour the batter into a non-greased 10-inch two-piece tube pan.
• With a knife cut vertical sections into the batter.
• Bake at 325F for 1 hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cake.
• Carefully position the cake pan upside down over 3 ramekins.
• Cool the cake in pan completely. Not just so-so, completely!
• Cut around the edges with a thin sharp knife.
• Gently remove cake from the pan and place inverted on a large round platter.
• Spread the cake with Swiss Lemon Buttercream.
SWISS LEMON BUTTERCREAM
1 cup sugar
4 large egg whites
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/8tsp salt
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• Whisk egg whites and sugar together in a big metal bowl over a pot of simmering water. But make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.
• Keep whisking the egg whites and the sugar no sugar granules remain when you rub the mixture between your fingers.
• Transfer the mixture to a deep bowl and whip it until the cream has doubled in size.
• Add the salt and the fresh lemon juice.
• Add the butter and whip at the highest speed. Buttercream will be ready when the consistency suddenly changes from foamy to buttery.
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
3 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
7 egg yolks
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
7 egg whites
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
• Soak the poppy seeds in 1 cup water for 2 hours.
• Line the bottom only of a 10-inch two-piece tube pan with parchment.
• Don’t line the sides.
• Place the sugar, flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
• Whisk it well with a balloon whisk.
• Make a well in the center.
• Add the egg yolks, vanilla, the poppy seeds - water mixture and the vegetable oil.
• Beat to combine.
• In a separate large bowl, beat the egg whites, baking soda and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form.
• Gradually and very gently fold the beaten egg whites into the poppy seed batter.
• Pour the batter into a non-greased 10-inch two-piece tube pan.
• With a knife cut vertical sections into the batter.
• Bake at 325F for 1 hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cake.
• Carefully position the cake pan upside down over 3 ramekins.
• Cool the cake in pan completely. Not just so-so, completely!
• Cut around the edges with a thin sharp knife.
• Gently remove cake from the pan and place inverted on a large round platter.
• Spread the cake with Swiss Lemon Buttercream.
SWISS LEMON BUTTERCREAM
1 cup sugar
4 large egg whites
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/8tsp salt
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• Whisk egg whites and sugar together in a big metal bowl over a pot of simmering water. But make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.
• Keep whisking the egg whites and the sugar no sugar granules remain when you rub the mixture between your fingers.
• Transfer the mixture to a deep bowl and whip it until the cream has doubled in size.
• Add the salt and the fresh lemon juice.
• Add the butter and whip at the highest speed. Buttercream will be ready when the consistency suddenly changes from foamy to buttery.
