An updated version of “La Pasta” featured in my cookbook The Modern Menu, this cake embodies the flavours of my childhood. Every new year, every break of fast, every important milestone, this gorgeous, fluffy cake made an appearance. This taller and lighter version, laced with the subtle flavor of orange blossom, rivals some of the most elegant cakes I’ve seen and may even be more delicious than the original. –Kim Kushner
Orange Chiffon Cake With Rose Petals
Kim Kushner's recipe for a simple but beautiful orange cake dusted with crushed rose petals.
Ingredients
- ½ cup neutral oil such as avocado oil, vegetable oil or rice bran oil, plus extra for greasing
- 2 cups all-purpose flour sifted, plus extra for dusting
- 7 eggs room temperature
- 1¼ cups sugar
- ½ cup orange juice
- ½ tsp orange blossom water
- 2 tsp baking powder
- pinch salt
- 1 tsp edible dried rose petals (see note) crushed between your fingers
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease a 9-inch angel food pan with oil and dust lightly with flour. Shake out the excess flour.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or using a handheld mixer), beat eggs on medium-high speed for 3 minutes. With the mixer on medium-high speed, slowly add sugar, 1 tbsp at a time. (It will take about 8 minutes.) The mixture should be thick, glossy and nearly fill up the entire bowl.
- Reduce the speed to medium. Add oil, orange juice and orange blossom water and mix for 2 minutes. Replace the whisk attachment with a paddle attachment.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add half of the flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix on medium-low speed for 1 minute. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix for another 1 to 2 minutes, until well combined. (If you do not have a paddle attachment, you can use a spatula to fold in the baking powder, salt and flour.)
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the cake springs back when tapped or a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Set aside to cool completely before removing from the pan.
- Run a knife along the sides and center of the pan to loosen the cake from the pan. Invert the cake onto a cake plate or platter. Sprinkle the crushed rose petals over the cake.
