Blue Ribbon Group Prize-Winning Chocolate Chiffon Cake
Minnesota State Fair, Blue Ribbon Winner, Best Overall Cake
This prize-winning Chocolate Chiffon Cake is for chocolate lovers and anyone who wants to bake like a blue ribbon winner. It’s tender texture comes from using cake flour and oil, as well as whipped egg whites. You fold the egg whites into the cake batter as a final step before baking.
Recipe credit goes to Gwendolyn Swenson, who won her blue ribbon bragging rights with it at the Minnesota State Fair (2014). She won the “Grand Cake of the of Fair” top honor, as in, Best Overall Cake out of all the dozens entered. (Hint: the other Grand Cake we’ve shared with you is this citrus pound cake.)
In celebration of the Minnesota State Fair opening this week, the timing is perfect for making this prize-winning chocolate chiffon cake. The 2021 Great Minnesota Get-Together runs August 26-Sepember 6.
-Cyndi
Note: This is an edited re-post from our sister website, StateFairRecipes.com
Prize Winning Chocolate Chiffon Cake
1 3/4 cups cake flour (4 1/4 ounces)
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup baking cocoa
3/4 cup hot water
7 eggs yolks, room temperature
1/2 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
7 eggs whites, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Icing/Topping:
1/3 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 to 4 tablespoons hot water
1-2 ounces semi sweet chocolate bar
Cake: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine the cake flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Separately, combine the cocoa and hot water, whisking until smooth. Add it to the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the canola oil and vanilla. Add this to the flour mixture as well. Beat all until well blended. Next, in a large clean bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar on high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into the cake batter mixture until combined. Spoon batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan. With a thin knife, cut through the batter with a knife to remove air pockets.
Bake on lowest rack at 325° for 60-65 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Invert onto cooling rack. Cool completely. Gently flip the pan over. Run a knife around insides and center tube of pan. Invert onto a serving plate.
Icing/Topping: Melt butter in a saucepan. Stir in powdered sugar, chocolate, vanilla, and water. Drizzle over cake. Make chocolate shavings with the chocolate bar (vegetable peeler works great) and sprinkle them on top.
Makes up to 20 slices.
