Melon Chiffon Cake With Sparkling Fruit Food

CANTALOUPE MELON CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9" x 13" baking pan.
• Combine oil, sugar, and eggs; beat until smooth.
• Sift together flour, cinnamon, and baking soda; add to oil mixture and stir until combined.
• Fold in cantaloupe, apple, and raisins.
• Spread mixture in prepared pan.
• Bake 20 minutes.
• Lower oven temperature to 325 degrees F; bake 10 minutes longer, until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

MELON CHIFFON CAKE WITH SPARKLING FRUIT

Steps:

• Allow egg whites and yolks to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. In a blender, combine the 3/4 cup cantaloupe and 2 tablespoons of the sparkling wine. Cover and blend until smooth. Set aside. Grease and lightly flour a 10-inch fluted tube pan; set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine the remaining sparkling wine and the 8 cups cantaloupe. Toss gently to coat. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine cake flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and allspice. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture.
• Add egg yolks, pureed cantaloupe mixture, and oil to flour mixture. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until combined. Beat on high speed about 5 minutes more or until batter is very smooth. Wash beaters thoroughly with soap and warm water; dry beaters. In a very large bowl, combine egg whites and cream of tartar; beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight). Pour egg yolk mixture in a thin stream over beaten egg whites, folding gently as you pour. Pour into prepared pan; spread evenly.
• Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until top is golden brown and springs back when lightly touched. Immediately invert cake in pan; cool completely. Loosen sides of cake from pan; remove cake. Place cake on a serving plate. If desired, sprinkle with powdered sugar and garnish with fresh sage. Serve cake with chilled cantaloupe mixture and, if desired, dessert topping.

LEMON CHIFFON CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees and have ready an ungreased 7-inch tube pan. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and 3/4 cup granulated sugar; set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks, vegetable oil, 1/3 cup water, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla. Add reserved dry ingredients, and beat until smooth.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar; beat on high speed until soft peaks form, about 1 minute. Gradually add remaining tablespoon of granulated sugar; beat on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes.
• Gradually fold egg-white mixture into the batter; start by folding in 1/3, then fold in the remaining 2/3. Pour batter into pan. Using an offset spatula, smooth the top. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean and the cake is golden, about 45 minutes.
• Remove cake from oven; invert the pan over a glass soda bottle for 2 hours to cool. Turn cake right-side up. Run a table knife all the way down between cake and pan; invert again, and remove cake. Dust cake with confectioners' sugar before serving.

FLUFFY CHIFFON CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line the bottom of a 10" springform pan with 3" sides with parchment paper cut to fit exactly. Do not grease the sides of the pan.
• Sift together the flour and baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Add 1¼ cups of the sugar and the salt and whisk to combine. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, egg yolks, water, vanilla, and lemon zest. Make a well in the flour, add the yolk mixture, and then whisk thoroughly and quickly for about 1 minute until very smooth.
• Place the egg whites in a large mixing bowl. Using a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat on medium speed until frothy. Add the cream of tartar or lemon juice and beat on medium-high speed until the whites hold soft peaks. Slowly add the remaining ¼ cup sugar and beat on medium-high speed until the whites hold firm, shiny peaks. Using a rubber spatula, scoop about one third of the whites onto the yolk mixture and fold in gently to lighten the batter. Gently fold in the remaining whites just until combined.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with an offset spatula if necessary. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 45-55 minutes. Let cool in the pan (the sides of the pan will help hold the structure of the cake as it cools) on a wire rack. To unmold, run a small, thin knife around the sides of the pan to loosen the cake and then release and lift off the pan sides. Invert the cake, peel off the parchment, and then use as directed in individual recipes. The cake will keep, well wrapped, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

MAPLE NUT CHIFFON CAKE WITH GOLDEN BUTTER FROSTING

Steps:

• Sift cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a bowl.
• Stir in the brown sugar.
• Make a well; add oil, egg yolks, water, maple flavoring in order given.
• Beat until smooth.
• In another bowl beat egg whites and cream of tarter until very stiff (I would do this first).
• Pour yolk mixture over whites, folding very carefully to prevent breaking whites.
• Add walnuts.
• Pour into an ungreased tube pan.
• Bake 55 minutes in a 325 degree Fahrenheit oven; then for last 10 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit; invert when done.
• FROSTING:.
• Melt butter until golden brown; don't scorch.
• Remove from heat.
• Stir in powdered sugar.
• Blend in sweet cream and maple flavoring.
• Beat until smooth.
• Spread on chiffon or angel cake.

LEMON CHIFFON CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and 1/2 cup sugar. Add oil, egg yolks, water and lemon rind. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth.
• In a small bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until peaks form. Gradually add 3/4 cup sugar, and beat until very stiff and shiny peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the whites into the batter, then quickly fold in remaining whites until no streaks remain. Turn batter into ungreased 10-inch tube pan.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Invert cake and cool completely in pan. When cool, loosen edges and shake pan to remove cake.
• To Make Filling: Beat cream to stiff peaks. Fold in lemon filling. Chill until stiff.
• To Assemble Cake: Slice cake horizontally into 3 equal layers. Fill layers with 1/3 cup of filling. Spread remaining filling on top layer. Decorate with lemon slices.