Airy Orange chiffon cake recipe

{orange chiffon cake topped with whipped cream and the strawberries I bought from the farmer's market last weekend}

{sneaking that third piece}

{the cookie monster}

My oven and Kitchen Aid mixer have a strange way of pulling at my heartstrings. Despite a never ending to-do list breathing down my back, I somehow always find a way to put it on hold and make time for baking. This week's creations included a dreamy orange chiffon cake and tons of chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies.

This sounds strange, but indulging in chiffon cake is like eating sweet airy bites of clouds. It's almost guilt free. That's why I ended up sneaking a third piece. SHHH!

ORANGE CHIFFON CAKE (adapted from Kevin Chai's recipe)

Ingredients:

Part I

7 egg yolks room temperature
1/3 c sugar
1/4 c orange juice
½ tsp salt
1tsp orange essence
4 tbsp vegetable oil
1 c cake flour plus 1 tsp. baking powder

Part II
7 egg whites
1 cup sugar
½ tsp cream of tartar

Directions:

Part I
1. Mix egg yolks, sugar, salt, oil, orange essence, and orange juice in a mixing bowl. Fold in sifted flour carefully until combined.

Part II
1. Whisk egg white and sugar (divided into 3 parts). Do this three times until soft peaks form. Add cream of tarter until stiff peaks form. It is imperative that the peaks are STIFF.

2. Fold in one-third of the whites into the yolk mixture. Then add the yolk mixture into the remaining whites and fold in gently until well mixed.
3. Pour into a 9 in tube pan and bake in a preheated oven at 325 degrees for 30 -40 minutes or until cooked. ( my oven gets super hot, so I only baked it for 30 mins)

3. Remove from oven and invert cake pan to cool completely on rack.

Top it with homemade whipped cream, and you are golden :)