It's National Chiffon Cake Day

Today we celebrate a nice spring dessert: The Lemon Chiffon Cake!

According to nationaldaycalendar.com , "chiffon cake is a very light cake made with vegetable oil, eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, and flavorings.? The fluffy texture is made by beating egg whites until stiff and folding them into the cake batter before baking. Chiffon cakes tend to be lower in saturated fat than butter cakes, potentially making them healthier than their butter-heavy counterparts.

The Secret of Chiffon

The recipe for the chiffon cake was a closely guarded secret for years. In the 1920s, angel food cake was quite popular, but Henry Baker thought he could make a lighter, richer cake. The insurance salesman-turned-caterer tinkered with ingredients until 1927 when he came upon the perfect combination of ingredients and methods to produce the airy richness he was looking for. ?

Keeping the recipe to himself, he offered his services to the Brown Derby Restaurant in Los Angeles which catered to Hollywood's elite. ?Until 1947, Baker was the only person to bake chiffon cakes. Baker's secret combination and methods relied on what bakers and chefs already knew about cakes and leavening. The lightness of angel food cakes relies on egg whites to create the loft and airiness. Traditional cakes used baking soda or powder for leavening. Baker combined both egg whites and baking powder to achieve a lightness like no other. And yet there was one other trick up Baker's sleeve. Where angel food cake contained no butter, fat, or shortening of any kind, Baker added vegetable oil.

While today adding vegetable oil to cake recipes is commonplace, back in 1927 these oils were a newer ingredient to home kitchens. His cakes continued to grow in popularity and as they did so did the variety of chiffon cakes he made. Then, in 1947, Baker sold his recipe to General Mills for an undisclosed amount. The rest is baking history."

In honor of today, here's a few ways you can pay homage:

???Visit your local bakery and try a slice.

??Have a taste testing party and invite friends and family over.

??Try this recipe: ?????????? ?????????????? ????????????????

Ingredients

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1 lemon, divided

3/4 cup (175 mL) cake flour (do not use all-purpose flour)

1/2 cup (125 mL) sugar, divided

3/4 tsp (4 mL) baking powder

1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt

2 large egg yolks

1/4 cup (50 mL) water

2 1/2 tbsp (37 mL) canola oil

1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon extract

4 large egg whites, room temperature

1/2 cup (125 mL) prepared lemon curd

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3 large egg whites

1/4 tsp (1 mL) cream of tartar

1/2 cup (125 mL) sugar

1 tsp (5 mL) lemon extract

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Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Place paper liners in wells of Muffin Pan. Using Microplane? Adjustable Fine Grater, zest lemon to measure 1 1/2 tbsp (22 mL); set aside 1/2 tbsp (7 mL) zest for garnish. In Stainless (2-qt./2-L) Mixing Bowl, combine flour, 1/4 cup (50 mL) of the sugar, baking powder, salt and remaining 1 tbsp (15 mL) zest; whisk well using Stainless Whisk. In Stainless (6-qt./6-L) Mixing Bowl, combine egg yolks, water, oil and extract; beat on medium speed of electric hand mixer until well blended. Add dry ingredients; beat on medium speed until smooth.

In Stainless (4-qt./4-L) Mixing Bowl and using clean beaters, beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form, about 1 minute. While continuously beating, gradually add remaining 1/4 cup (50 mL) sugar in a very slow, steady stream. Continue beating 3-4 minutes or until sugar is dissolved and stiff peaks form. Stir in one-fourth of the meringue into batter using Small Mix 'N Scraper?; gently fold in remaining meringue.

Using Large Scoop, divide batter evenly among liners; bake 12-15 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean. Remove pan from oven to Stackable Cooling Rack. Remove cupcakes from pan; cool completely. Meanwhile, prepare Meringue Frosting (see below).

To assemble cupcakes, spoon lemon curd into Easy Accent? Decorator fitted with closed star tip. Press decorator gently into center of each cupcake and pipe in a small amount of curd (about 2 tsp/10 mL). Frost cupcakes; sprinkle with reserved lemon zest.

??????????: 12 servings of 1 cupcake

?????????????????? ?????? ??????????????: Calories 190, Calories from Fat 40, Total Fat 4.5 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Trans Fat 0 g, Cholesterol 45 mg, Sodium 125 mg, Carbohydrate 31 g, Fiber 0 g, Sugars 24 g, Protein 3 g

??.??. ???????????????? ?????????????????? ?????? ??????????????: 1 starch, 1 fruit, 1 fat (2 carb)

Your Pampered Chef Cook’s Tips:

Meringue Frosting: Bring 2 1/2 cups (625 mL) water to a simmer over medium-low heat in (3-qt./2.8-L) Saucepan. Place egg whites in a Double Boiler; set over water in Saucepan. Using electric hand mixer, beat egg whites on high speed until frothy; beat in cream of tartar. While continuously beating, gradually add sugar in a very slow, steady stream. Continue beating until mixture is thickened and Instant-Read Food Thermometer registers 160°F (71°C); carefully remove boiler from Saucepan. Continue beating until mixture is glossy and stiff peaks form; beat in lemon extract. Spoon frosting into resealable plastic bag. Twist bag to seal. cut off corner and pipe over cupcakes.

Muffin Pan # 1601

Adjustable Zester # 100482

Large Scoop # 1790

Mix & Scraper # 1659

Stainless Steel Whisk # 2475

Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl # 1735

Stackable Cooling Rack Set # 1588

Flex+ Multi Prep Set # 100272

Easy Accent Decorator # 100260

Deluxe Stand Mixer # 100833

Instant-Read Food Thermometer # 100121

Don't have these item on hand, don't panic. Pick them up here??

??link: Table by Pampered Chef

ACTION STEP: Bake up these cupcakes that have a stylish flair that makes them suitable for special occasions. Let me know in the comments how they turned out or kick your kitchen up a notch by booking your cooking show here:

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