The Best Chocolate Chiffon Cake

My Mom made the most delicious cakes for special events like birthdays, or Valentine's Day. When I saw the angel food pan coming out, I knew that we were going to have either a delicious Angel Food cake or her favourite Chocolate Chiffon cake. It was going to be a special day. 

Mom would have had her 98th birthday this past week. She passed away from cancer when she was only 54, and I was 20 years old. We should have had so many more celebrations together. My kids never got to know her, but I keep trying to tell little stories and memories about the Grandma they never met. I thought I would like to celebrate her birthday this year by making the Chocolate Chiffon Cake for my family.

My mom, Josephine or Joey, as everyone called her, was born on a small farm in Saskatchewan during the 1920s. She was the 10th child born, and they had already lost 3 of the siblings to infectious diseases that swept across the prairies in those years. 

The day she was born was her older brother Jim's 9th birthday, and he was very sad because no one was paying attention to him. It was not being such a special day, and there wasn't going to be a cake or any presents. He just sat out on the step for a good part of the day. Later their father came out to him and handed him a little bundle and told him that she was his new little sister and that she was his present and the very best present he could have wished for. He took this very seriously, cared for her, and loved her deeply. She told me that she followed him around like a puppy! They remained very close and always tried to keep in touch, despite living far apart, right until my mom's death.  

Happy Birthday thoughts to Uncle Jim and Mom on their day.

Jim and Joey

My mom and her parents.

This vintage cake might sound harder to bake than it really is, so I hope people just go ahead and give it a try. Trust me, the taste is worth it! I like to approach it one bowl at a time, and then the combining part is quick and easy. This is all about keeping it light, fluffy and yummy. 

Chocolate Chiffon Cake 

• 1/2 cup Cocoa
• 2/3 cup Boiling Water

• 1 3/4 cup  Flour (sifted) cake flour is ideal
• 1 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Salt

• 1/2 cup Cooking Oil
• 7 Egg Yolks (room temperature)
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla

• 7 Egg Whites (room temperature)
• 1/2 teaspoon Cream of Tartar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Clean a 10-inch angel food tube pan with soap and water. It is important not to have any grease on the pan or it won't rise as well. I also like to cut a piece of parchment to fit in the bottom of the pan. The eggs have to be at room temperature so that they whip up to maximum volume. 

In a small bowl, combine the cocoa powder with the boiling water and stir so it is well combined. Now just put it to the side so it cools down..

The second bowl is for the dry ingredients. Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.

The third bowl has the oil, egg yolks and vanilla. Mix until smooth.

In the fourth bowl beat/whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar until it forms very stiff peaks.

Next, we gently mix the cooled cocoa mixture into the oil and egg yolk mixture. Don't beat it, just combine it.

Now, using beaters we mix the cocoa and oil mix into the second bowl with the flour mixture and beat until smooth. 

Carefully use a rubber spatula to fold a quarter of the egg whites into the batter and repeat until all the egg whites are folded in and combined. Be gentle and just fold, do not stir. You want it mixed, but you really want to trap as much air into the cake as possible.

Pour into the ungreased tube pan. Bake for 60 minutes at 325 degrees or until a wooden skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.  Let it cool upside down in the pan. 

When cool, turn it run a knife around the pan and remove the cake!

We like to dust it with icing sugar and serve it with ice cream or whipping cream. Fresh raspberries make a particularly nice garnish.

Enjoy!