Chocolate Chiffon Cake

So this last weekend we threw a birthday party for dear Butchie. She wanted a chill night on my awesome porch, good friends and food and one fancy cake. She used expletives to express her fervor towards the fanciness of the cake.......and by the time I was done making the darn thing I was too. She described the cake as "infused with curse words." Before you get on your high horse and judge me, let me give you a time line: Thursday night baking, Friday morning baking, Friday night pudding cooking, and ALL Saturday on construction. By that point wouldn't you be infusing with swear words? That was twenty hours on a cake! Every free moment I had for three days! KILLER.

magpies cake

So this cake was an attempt at a do it yourself  replication of a magpies cake I've seen and loved. Now........my cake is just not that good in comparison. How on earth they made those amazingly thin and delicate looking layers is beyond me. You can see where the theme held threw even if the technique was lacking.,,, but how? How? HOW did they do it?!? I'm going to try again in the near future, this time with chocolate instead of fondant, and also, on a cake that does not have three massive cream filled layers, and that has time to let the crumb coating set into a very hard shell for structural support. Also....better lighting. Trying to take a photo as the sun was setting....not so hot.

Butchie's cake was chocolate, filled with butterscotch, wrapped in a buttercream crumb coat, and layered in thin sheets of fondant...as thin as I could go and it still wasn't thin enough! I tried to texture the little sheets by pressing paintbrushes into them.......didn't hold. I tried to make the layers pull out from the cake........then the humidity hit and the cake drew it's inspiration from the wicked witch of the west....melting, melting, melting and infused with curses. So..........what I really think everyone should take away from this cake is the chocolate cake recipe. It's a beautiful chiffon cake, smooth, with good flavor. It stays moist and airy, and lately is my go to chocolate cake recipe.

Enjoy! and another happy birthday to Butchie!

Chocolate Chiffon Cake
adapted from Tartine


¾ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup dutch cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon powdered lemon zest
3/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 large egg yolks
⅓ cup water
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

5 large egg whites
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

Preheat the oven to moderate 325°F (160°C/gas mark 3).

Line the bottom of an 8-inch (20 cm) spring form pan with parchment paper. Do not grease the sides of the pan.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour and baking powder. Add in all but 3 tablespoons (45 ml.) of sugar, powdered lemon peel and all of the salt. Stir to combine.

In a small bowl combine the oil, egg yolks, water, and vanilla. Whisk thoroughly.

Combine with the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly for about one minute, or until very smooth.

Put the egg whites into a stand mixer, and beat on medium speed using a whisk attachment on a medium speed, until frothy. Add cream of tartar and beat on a medium speed until the whites hold soft peaks. Slowly add the remaining sugar and beat on a medium-high speed until the whites hold firm and form shiny peaks.

Using a grease free rubber spatula, scoop about ⅓ of the whites into the yolk mixture and fold in gently. Gently fold in the remaining whites just until combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Removed the cake from the oven and allow to cool in the pan on a wire rack.

To unmold, run a knife around the sides to loosen the cake from the pan and remove the spring form sides. Invert the cake and peel off the parchment paper. Refrigerate for up to four days.

Chocolate Collars

Chocolate collars going around the outside of a cake are simply one of the fastest and easiest ways to take a cake from ordinary to fabulous! Got five minutes, chocolate and wax paper? You're good to go. 

Happy birthday to me!

Yes, this beautiful  cake was my birthday cake on Sunday! My own personal cake that is. I made a second cake for everyone else. It's my birthday. I don't want to share my cake on my birthday. Ha ha. You might judge me for it, but deep down, you know you really want to do the same. Besides it's not like I didn't let them have any cake! I made a four layer chocolate hazelnut cake for the party! And pumpkin pies!

My good friend, Rachel, and I had a disagreement  conversation about whether or not it was okay for me to make my own birthday cake. I had to point out a few things (like how much I love making cake, and that making a pretty cake is just "what I do" with my free time) before she'd let me.

My mother gave me some new toys kitchen accessories that I have been really excited to try out: baking rings! I love stacked desserts and finally had some rings of my own to use! I am such a dork dweeb baking enthusiast! I was also pretty excited to try out making a chocolate collar, which as it turns out is super easy....just don't try to fiddle with it too much AFTER you put it on the cake. Don't believe me? See the fingerprints on the cake below? Yep. Just don't.

top: close up of chocolate collar and berries bottom: uncovered cake and chocolate hazelnut cake

Making the chocolate band is super easy!  My recommendation is keeping the chocolate decently thick, so then when it hardens fully, it won't break. :) For my birthday cake I cut a strip of wax paper that goes around the cake, andmade the band extra tall, melted some chocolate, smoothed it on, and then refrigerated for five minutes....CAREFULLY picked it up, wrapped it around and then crinkled in the chocolate. I loved the effect but getting the wax paper pulled off after it set was a tad bit tricker. 

Here's the video I used from Bonappetit.com as my guide! Good luck and have fun!