Chocolate Chiffon Cake

P4's Note:

This cake is from a wonderful pastry chef, Mary Bergin. It's very simple, and it's simply the finest chocolate cake anywhere. When I make chocolate cake, this is the recipe I use. I may vary the accompaniments, but the cake is the same.

• Total Time: 55 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 1 ten inc ...

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup cake flour
• ¾ cup cocoa
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 4 large egg yolks
• ½ cup canola oil
• ½ cup water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla or 1 teaspoon Kahlua
• 6 large egg whites
• ½ cup sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Lightly grease a 10" bundt pan.
3. Sift together the 1 cup sugar, cake flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt twice.
4. In a separate bowl, mix the yolks, oil, water and vanilla.
5. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
6. In the bowl of your mixer, whip the whites to soft peaks, then slowly add the last 1/2 cup sugar and whip to stiff peaks.
7. Mix 1/3 of the whites into the chocolate base to lighten, the fold the remaining whites in gently until thoroughly incorporated.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 30 minutes, or until the cake JUST begins to come away from the sides.
9. Immediately remove from the oven and let cool, then turn out onto a plate.
10. Notes: This cake needs no icing.
11. I like to fill the center with lightly sweetened whipped cream and raspberries, OR, sift a little powdered sugar over top, slice and serve with whipped cream and hot fudge sauce, or whatever you can dream up.

Reviews

[CCassVA]

This cake pleased everyone -- even the fussiest cake eaters. Rich chocolate flavor, perfect texture, great presentation, perfect for folks who don't like frosting (yes, there are some people like that). Definitely a keeper.

[s'kat]

I used the kahlua in my recipe, and my cake baked in exactly 28 minutes. It certainly didn't need any icing. Very rich and cocoa-ish, with a great, light texture. I was on a random circuit of gift-giving the weekend I made this, and brought this along to many recipients. It was adored all around, and I had to give the recipe to a couple of people. Has gone into my files as my basic chocolate cake.

[Sarahcw80]

I made this for my sisters b day and she absolutely adored it and asked for the recipe! Which is quite an accomplishment because shes the birthday cake maker in our family lol This cake was sooo light and fluffy, we did use fudge frosting( my familys big on frosting) but i dont think it ruined it or overpowered it in any way. This cake ROCKED!!