A couple of weeks ago I was looking for a dessert to make for a colleague's Cinco de Mayo party, and I decided that a Margarita Chiffon Cake was in order. I know that chiffon cake has absolutely nothing to do with Mexico, but I figured that the margarita flavor of the cake, glaze, and accompanying strawberry compote made it appropriate for the occasion.
I only recently discovered chiffon cake, and I think that it's pretty wondrous stuff -- light, delicate, and yet incredibly moist. This cake was no exception. You make the batter through the standard chiffon cake method: add dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, salt) into the wet ingredients (egg yolks, vegetable oil, lime juice, Cointreau, tequila, lime zest); fold in egg whites beaten with sugar and cream of tartar; and bake.
After fully cooling the cake upside down and releasing it from the pan, you drizzle on a glaze made from powdered sugar, lime juice, tequila, Cointreau, and lime zest. Even though I let the cake stand for 2 hours after applying the glaze, the glaze did not set totally firm. I served the cake with the strawberry compote made from strawberries, sugar, lime juice, Cointreau, tequila, and lime zest.
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Given that the cake, glaze, and compote each contain tequila, Cointreau, lime juice, and lime zest, you will not be surprised to hear that this cake tastes exactly like... a margarita. It is pretty darn boozy, especially the strawberries; for a teetotaler like me, it was too much to bear.
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Still, I could not help but appreciate the exquisite texture of the chiffon cake, which was simultaneously weightless and rich. I would love to make this recipe again as a straight lime chiffon cake without the booze. And while I personally was not a fan of the alcoholic strawberries (although drinkers certainly had no problem with them), I recognize that berries are the perfect accompaniment to this cake, and I might go with balsamic strawberries instead. But if you're a fan of margaritas, this cake is for you!
Recipe: "Margarita Chiffon Cake" and "Strawberry Compote with Tequila and Lime" from epicurious.com.
Previous Posts:
I only recently discovered chiffon cake, and I think that it's pretty wondrous stuff -- light, delicate, and yet incredibly moist. This cake was no exception. You make the batter through the standard chiffon cake method: add dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, salt) into the wet ingredients (egg yolks, vegetable oil, lime juice, Cointreau, tequila, lime zest); fold in egg whites beaten with sugar and cream of tartar; and bake.
After fully cooling the cake upside down and releasing it from the pan, you drizzle on a glaze made from powdered sugar, lime juice, tequila, Cointreau, and lime zest. Even though I let the cake stand for 2 hours after applying the glaze, the glaze did not set totally firm. I served the cake with the strawberry compote made from strawberries, sugar, lime juice, Cointreau, tequila, and lime zest.
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Recipe: "Margarita Chiffon Cake" and "Strawberry Compote with Tequila and Lime" from epicurious.com.
Previous Posts:
- "Baked Sunday Mornings: Lady Praline Chiffon Cake," September 9, 2012.
- "Sky High Expectations: Chocolate Chiffon Cake," September 28, 2012.
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