Fresh Lime Chiffon Cake

This is actually a fun post to write.  I've made this cake before and just recently, one of my far away friends asked if I still had the recipe.  I didn't think of making one before she asked but the opportunity came to make a cake, and I thought why not this cake.  About a week and half ago my parents had their 50th wedding anniversary. I'm so proud of them for still be together for these many years because as you all know, being married to one person hasn't always an easy feat to do in life.  They never want to make a big celebration for the golden anniversary so we went to a neighborhood restaurant and had a great dinner.  This was the cake that I made for them.

Limes are supposedly very expensive to buy in the market nowadays because of the weather, diseases, and cartels involvement in Mexico, where most limes in the US are imported from.  I've put off making this cake because of the outrageous prices, but the week closer to my parents anniversary's date I found better price in one of the Asian grocery stores in Portland.  They're bit smaller than usual but I took my chance and bought enough quantity needed.  In the end, I had enough and more for the cake.  The cake did look smaller in the photo because I used 6-inch cake pans but I will keep the instruction as using 8-inch pans.

If you love citrus fruits, you'll love this cake.  It's refreshing, not overly puckery but each bite will leave a bright note in your mouth.  The filling is quite easy and you won't believe it first but when you mix lime juice with sweetened condensed milk, the texture became tight, custardy-like.  The only thing I regretted was the frosting.  It was store-bought whipped topping which when slather on the cake didn't come out as smooth as I liked.  Never again, next time I'll make my own whipped cream frosting though to prevent weeping a bit gelatin needs to be added to it.

Fresh Lime Chiffon Cake

Yield 16 servings

Filling:

1 teaspoon finely grated lime rind

1/4-1/3 cup lime juice (about 2-3 limes)--if you like it more sour, use more lime juice

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

Cake:

Cooking spray

1 tablespoon cake flour

2 cups sifted cake flour (7 1/2 ounces)

1 1/4 cups sugar, divided

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

7 tablespoons canola oil

1/3 cup fresh lime juice (about 3 limes)

3 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon finely grated lime rind

1 teaspoon pure lemon extract

3 egg yolks

8 egg whites

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Frosting:

3 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons lime juice (about 1 lime)

2 1/2 cups whipped topping, thawed



Fresh mint sprigs

Fresh blueberries

Lime wedges



Make lime filling:  Combine 1 teaspoon lime rind, 1/4-1/3 cup lime juice, and sweetened condensed milk in a small bowl, stirring until blended.  cover and chill 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 325F.

Make the cake:  Coat bottoms of 3 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray (do not coat sides of pans); line bottoms with wax paper.  Coat wax paper with cooking spray; dust with 1 tablespoon flour.

Lightly spoon 2 cups cake flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife.  Combine 2 cups cake flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk until well combined.

Combine oil, 1/3 cup juice, 3 tablespoons water, 1 teaspoon rind, lemon extract, and egg yolks in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk.  Add oil mixture to flour mixture; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth.

Place egg whites in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until foamy.  Add cream of tartar; beat until soft peaks form.  Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peak form.  Gently stir one-fourth of egg white mixture into flour mixture, gently fold in remaining egg white mixture.

Divide cake batter equally among prepared pans, spreading evenly.  Break air pockets by cutting through batter with a knife.  Bake at 325F for 20 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched.  Cool in pans for 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pans.  Remove wax paper from cake layers.  Cool completely on wire rack.

Prepare frosting:   Combine 3 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons lime juice in a small glass bowl.  Microwave at HIGH for 30 seconds or until sugar dissolves.  Cool completely.  Fold into whipped topping.

Assemble the cake:  Place 1 cake layer on a plate; spread half of filling over cake layer.  Top with second layer, remaining half of filling, and third layer.  Spread frosting over top and sides of cake.  Garnish with mint, blueberries, and lime wedges.  Store cake loosely covered in refrigerator for up to 3 days.  Slice cake into wedges.



Source:  Cooking Light