Lady Praline Chiffon Cake

This is a lovely tasting cake, nutty with a hint of orange, with a perfect chiffon texture: moist and spongy, but not rubbery, with a fine, tight crumb.

The praline flavouring comes from the use of brown sugar and pecan liqueur in the recipe. Almond extract is suggested as a substitute for the liqueur, but I used hazelnut oil and a little vanilla. The mixing method is standard for a chiffon cake in that most of the eggs need to be separated; the yolks are mixed with oil, water and the dry ingredients, and whites are whipped and folded in at the end. It’s important not to over mix at any stage to ensure a moist cake. (Pet peeve about the recipes in this book: they don’t include the water in the list of ingredients.)

Delicious and definitely a keeper!