REC: MAPLE PECAN CHIFFON CAKE -- Light as angelt food, rich as butter cake.
My husband's Aunt Sophia used to make this for family gatherings, and it's a favorite with all his kith and kin. I am copying the recipe she used straiaght from her BETTY CROCKER PICTURE COOK BOOK that has a 1950 print date.
My brother-in-law has cranked this cake out a couple times since Aunt Sophia's passing a few years ago, but Fred's cakes tasted salty to me so he either 1) didn't use unsalted butter in the frosting which I would definitely use -OR- 2) Aunt Sophia cut the salt amount listed in the cake batter, but didn't note this reduction on her recipe.
MAPLE PECAN CHIFFON CAKE
Set out but do NOT grease: a 10" tube pan, 4" deep OR a 13x9" oblong pan.
Sift together into a mixing bowl:
2-1/4 cups sifted SOFTASILK flour -OR- 2 cups sifted GOLD MEDAL Flour
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Then add 3/4 cup brown sugar (with no lumps) to the sifted dry ingredients above and mix together thoroughly.
"Make a well" in the center of the sifted dry ingredients w/ the brown sugar and add in order:
1/2 cup cooking (salad) oil
5 egg yolks, unbeaten, if you are using SOFTASILK Flour -OR- 7 egg yolks, unbeaten, if you are using GOLD MEDAL Flour
3/4 cup cold water
2 teaspoons maple extract or maple flavoring
Beat with a spoon until smooth. Then measure the following into a large mixing bowl:
1 cup egg whites (7 to smileys/bigeyes.gif
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
Whip together until egg whites form very stiff peaks but do not overbeat. Pour egg yolk mixture gradually over whipped whites, gently folding with a large rubber scraper just until blended.
Gently fold in at the last 1 cup very finely chopped pecans.
Pour batter into ungreased 10" tube pan. Bake at 325 degrees F for 55 minutes, then increase oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes.
For oblong cake pan, bake at 350 degrees F for 45 to 50 minutes.
When cake tests done, invert pan and let hang upside down until cold.
Aunt Sophia has the following frosting recipe handwritten in the margin:
1 stick (1/2 cup) margarine--I'd use unsalted butter instead.
1/2 cup butter-flavored Crisco
1 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon cake flour
1/2 cup whole milk (I'd start off with less and add more gradually until reaching a desired frosting consistency. I think I would also add a smidge of maple extract to this frosting.)
Note from Wigs--Before my SILs informed me that the frosting recipe above was the one their aunt used all the time on this cake, I decided to use a Browned Butter Icing that I ran across in the same cookbook as the chiffon cake recipe. There are 2 versions--a smaller one for drizzling over top & letting run down the outside of cake and one for frosting entire cake. I use the smaller version and add extra cream so I have a runnier frosting, and then I put it on the top of the cake and drizzle it down the sides. I'll post both so if you prefer to frost the entire cake on the top, you can use the larger version.
The following Browned Butter Frosting is what I use for the above recipe. I add additional cream and then drizzle frosting on the top and down the sides of the chiffon cake above.
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter
About 2 Tbsp cream (I add a Tbsp or 2--just until frosting is on runny side so I can spread it on top of cake & it'll run down the sides)
1 tsp vanilla (I use 1/2 tsp maple extract or flavor.)
Brown butter in a heavy skillet before blending with sugar. Stir in cream & extract until smooth.
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If you want to frost the entire cake--top & all sides--use these amounts:
3 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup unsalted butter
About 3 Tbsp cream
1-1/2 tsp vanilla (or 3/4 tsp maple extract)
Follow directions for preceding frosting recipe and ice top & sides of Maple Pecan Chiffon Cake.
