Orange Chiffon Cake with Whipped Cream and Candied Orange Peel

Recipe from Martha Stewart Everyday Food Magazine

Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

One of our most favorite things to do is to visit our friends, Andy and Linda. It’s always a pitch-in dinner. They have a wood cook stove. Last night they prepared a roast chicken with potatoes. I brought the salad and this dessert for husband testing. Our friend Paul joined us for dinner since his girlfriend was out of town. We ate, drank wine, talked, laughed and after dinner, we played charades. This cake was a highlight. Two husbands and one boyfriend in attendance (Andy, Paul and my Jim) really liked it. They said it was deliciously moist. (By the way, the wives liked it too!) It’s best served with sweetened whipped cream. The candied orange peel takes no effort to make and adds a special touch to this yummy dessert. (This recipe took 2 oranges for the actual cake, but you'll need another orange for the Candied Orange Peel recipe below. So, put 3 oranges on your shopping list.)

2 cups all purpose flour (spooned/leveled)

4 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1½ cups sugar, divided

½ cup vegetable oil

6 large eggs, separated

2 Tablespoons finely grated orange zest

½ cup fresh orange juice

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 325°. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and 1 cup sugar. Make a well in center of flour mixture. Add oil, egg yolks, orange zest and juice, and ¼ cup cold water; whisk batter until smooth.

Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining ½ cup sugar (1 Tablespoon at a time); continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold half of egg-white mixture into batter. Fold in remaining egg-white mixture just until combined (do not over mix).

Pour batter into a 10-inch angel-food cake pan with a removable bottom. (No need to grease or flour the pan.) Bake until a toothpick inserted near center of cake comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes. Remove from oven; invert, still in pan, onto a baking sheet. Cool completely. Run a knife around edge and center to release cake. Serve with Sweetened Whipped Cream and Candied Orange Zest, if desired. (Recipes below.)

Sweetened Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy whipping cream, well chilled

3 Tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

In a medium bowl, using the whisk attachment to your mixer, whip the ingredients until soft peaks form.

Candied Orange Peel (Zest)

Using a vegetable peeler, remove peel/zest (orange part only) of 1 orange in long strips. (Avoid the white bitter pith when doing this.) Thinly slice lengthwise. In a small saucepan, combine 1/2 sugar and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add the zest and reduce heat to medium. Cook until the zest is softened, about 15 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the zest to a baking sheet lined with waxed paper; let cool. Toss zest with 2 Tablespoons sugar. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 day. (You can use the leftover orange sugar water to sweeten your tea!)