Recipe: Chocolate chiffon cake with chocolate glaze

Chocolate chiffon cake with chocolate glaze

Total time: 1 hour, 45 minutes plus cooling time for the cake

Servings: 12 to 16

Note: This recipe calls for a 10-inch angel food cake pan (preferably a pan with a removable insert).

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Chocolate glaze

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup water

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons corn syrup

Pinch salt

1 pound bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (chips or finely diced)

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, cream, water, vanilla, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a good simmer over high heat. Remove from heat. Stir (do not whisk) in the chocolate until melted and combined.

2. This makes about 2½ cups glaze, which will thicken as it cools. Rewarm slightly to thin, or stir in a little extra cream to reach the desired consistency. The glaze will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 1 week.

Chocolate chiffon cake and assembly

1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) cake flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tablespoons instant espresso

1 1/2 cups sugar, divided

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

7 eggs separated, plus 2 egg whites

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup cacao nibs

3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Chocolate glaze

1. Heat the oven to 325 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, sift together the cake flour, cocoa, instant espresso, 11/4 cups sugar, baking powder and salt. Whisk the dry ingredients well to make sure they are thoroughly combined. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.

3. In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks. Pour the egg yolks into the well, along with the vegetable oil, milk and vanilla. Beat the wet ingredients into the dry until completely smooth. Stir in the cacao nibs.

4. In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy. With the mixer running, slowly rain in the remaining one-fourth cup sugar. Continue to beat the whites until stiff peaks form when the beater is lifted.

5. Fold the beaten whites into the rest of the batter: Gently spoon one-third of the beaten egg whites into the large bowl with the batter. Slowly and carefully fold the whites into the batter using a spatula or whisk until mixed. Add another third of the beaten whites to the bowl and gently fold into the batter. Be very gentle as you fold in the whites as you do not want to deflate them; the whites lighten the batter and are largely responsible for the cake’s ability to rise as it bakes. Gently fold in the remaining third of the whites.

6. Spoon or gently pour the batter into a 10-inch ungreased angel food cake pan. Place the pan in the oven and bake until the cake is puffed (it should rise over the top of the pan by 2 to 3 inches, but will deflate a little as it cools), lightly browned on top, and a toothpick or cake tester inserted comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes.

7. Remove from heat and invert the pan over a wine or soda bottle. Set the pan aside in a quiet place until cooled completely, 1 to 2 hours.

8. Loosen the sides with a thin knife or metal spatula and tap it gently to remove the cake (if using a two-piece pan, loosen the outside of the pan to remove, then gently work the knife or spatula along the top of the insert and inside to remove the cake).

9. Drizzle the warm glaze over the top of the cake as desired (you may not use all of the glaze).

Each of 16 servings: 330 calories; 6 grams protein; 36 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams fiber; 19 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 100 mg cholesterol; 22 grams sugar; 244 mg sodium.