Sparkling Berry Chiffon Food

NAKED BERRY CHIFFON CAKE

Steps:

• Cake:Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans and two 6-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment; butter parchment. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. In another large bowl, whisk together oil, egg yolks, milk, lemon zest, and vanilla seeds. Whisk egg-yolk mixture into flour mixture.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on high speed until frothy. Add cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, beating until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 5 minutes. Whisk one-third of egg white mixture into batter. Gently but thoroughly fold in remaining egg-white mixture with a rubber spatula. Transfer batter to prepared pans: 2 cups batter in each 6-inch pan and 4 cups batter in each 9-inch pan. Bake until golden and tops spring back when lightly touched, about 25 minutes for 6-inch cakes and 30 minutes for 9-inch cakes. Let cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto racks; remove parchment. Let cool completely, upside-down.
• Whipped Cream:In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together cream and confectioners' sugar on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
• Using a serrated knife, trim tops of cakes flat. Split each cake horizontally into two equal layers. Place a 9-inch cake layer, bottom-side down, on a serving platter. Spread 1 1/2 cups whipped cream evenly over top. Repeat process with remaining 9-inch cake layers, spreading 1 1/2 cups whipped cream between each layer and leaving top layer (bottom-side up) uncovered. Refrigerate while you work on the second tier. Repeat process with 6-inch cake layers, spreading 1 cup whipped cream between each layer.
• Insert a wooden dowel or skewer into 9-inch tier; trim dowel so that it?s 1/4 inch taller than height of tier. Trim 2 more dowels to same height. Arrange dowels in a circular pattern, about 3 inches from edge of cake. Center 6-inch tier over 9-inch tier, pressing gently to secure. Insert a dowel into 6-inch tier; trim dowel to height of tier.
• Garnish cake with berries and flowers, scattering on top of each tier and around perimeter of serving platter. Using a small, fine sieve, sift confectioners' sugar over berries. Serve immediately.

CHIFFON CAKE WITH STRAWBERRIES AND CREAM

Steps:

• Make the cake: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Whisk together flour, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, the baking powder, and salt. Whisk together oil, egg yolks, and milk in a large bowl. Whisk flour mixture into egg-yolk mixture.
• Beat egg whites with a mixer on high speed until frothy. Add cream of tartar and vanilla seeds or extract, and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 3/4 cup granulated sugar, beating until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 5 minutes. Whisk one-third of the egg-white mixture into batter. Gently but thoroughly fold in remaining egg-white mixture with a rubber spatula.
• Transfer batter to tube pan. Bake until top of cake springs back when touched, 52 to 55 minutes. Let cool upside down (over a bottle or on tube-pan feet) 1 hour.
• Make the berries and cream: While cake is baking and cooling, combine strawberries, granulated sugar, lemon juice, and salt, and let sit, stirring occasionally, 1 hour. Just before assembling, beat cream and confectioners' sugar until medium peaks form.
• Slide a paring knife around edges of tube and side of pan; release cake. Cut cake horizontally into 3 layers with a serrated knife. Transfer bottom layer to a cake plate or platter. Spread with half the berries, and drizzle with juices. Spread half the whipped cream over berries, then top with middle cake layer. Spread with remaining berries and whipped cream. Top with remaining cake layer. Refrigerate cake 1 hour. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar, and serve with berries.

LEMON CHIFFON CAKE WITH STRAWBERRY FROSTING

Steps:

• Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottoms of three 8-inch round ungreased cake pans with parchment paper. Sift the flour, 1 cup superfine sugar, the baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Whisk the oil, 1/2 cup cold water, the egg yolks, lemon zest and 2 teaspoons lemon juice in a medium bowl until well combined. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the oil mixture; stir with a rubber spatula until smooth. Set aside.
• Beat the egg whites and the remaining 1 teaspoon lemon juice in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Gradually beat in the remaining 1/3 cup superfine sugar; continue beating until stiff peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes. Fold about one-third of the beaten egg whites into the batter with a rubber spatula, then fold in the rest until just combined.
• Divide the batter among the prepared pans and smooth evenly. Bake until the centers spring back when gently pressed, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer the cakes to a rack and let cool completely in the pans.
• Meanwhile, make the frosting: Puree the strawberries in a food processor until smooth; strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing on the solids with a rubber spatula. Beat the marshmallow cream in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until incorporated, then beat in the strawberry puree. Reduce the mixer speed to low; gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar until combined.
• Assemble the cake: Run a knife around the edges of the cakes and invert onto the rack; remove the parchment. Put 1 cake layer on a cake stand or serving plate. Spread with about 1/3 cup frosting. Top with another cake layer; spread with another 1/3 cup frosting. Top with the remaining cake layer, then cover the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

STRAWBERRY CHIFFON CAKE

Steps:

• Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Place in a large bowl and make a well in the center. Add oil, egg yolks and orange juice; beat with a spoon until smooth. , In a bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff. Gradually add batter, folding gently until blended. Pour into an ungreased 9x5-in. loaf pan. Bake at 325° for 50-55 minutes. Invert immediately on wire rack, but keep in pan. When cool, remove cake from pan and slice into 12 pieces. Top each slice with berries, ice cream and whipped cream.

STRAWBERRY CHIFFON PIE

Steps:

• Place sliced strawberries in a food processor or blender; cover and process until smooth. Set aside 1-1/2 cups for filling (discard remaining puree or save for another use). In a saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over lemonade concentrate; let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in sugar and reserved strawberry puree. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil and gelatin is dissolved. Remove from the heat., Stir a small amount of filling into egg whites; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Cook and stir over low heat for 3 minutes or until mixture is slightly thickened and a thermometer reaches 160° (do not boil). Remove from the heat; stir in orange juice. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. , Fold in whipped topping; spoon into crust. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or until set. Just before serving, garnish with halved strawberries.