Today is one of my friends’ birthday. We had a very funny party last weekend with some other friends to celebrate her birthday. And a week before that, her husband asked me to make a birthday cake as a surprise for her.
I was thinking about what kind of cake I would use for this birthday cake. I thought that chiffon cake would be a good choice since the cake is very light, tender and the texture of a chiffon cake often makes people amazed and get excited. I have made an orange chiffon cake before using cake flour. This time I wanted to test another recipe with all-purpose flour to see if I still could handle it. So, after searching, I found a recipe for lemon chiffon from Taste of Home magazine that uses all-purpose flour.
I haven’t had many occasions to make birthday cakes (this is my first time) and to practise decoring the cake with frosting. Thus, I have few experience with different kinds of cake icing and the decoration tools. It was also a risk to try the new recipe for the first time. Luckily, things turned out smoothy and I was very glad with the final product.
The recipe was suitable for one 10” tube pan, but I had only one 8” tube pan, which I used to make my tiny orange chiffon. So I wanted to try the chiffon cake with normal round springform pan to test the quality and the difference. So I still made with a full recipe and divided the batter into two pans and baking them together. The chiffon cake with the tube pan was perfect, whereas the cake with the springform didn’t rise to such perfect degree since the center of the cake was heavy without a tub for the batter to "lean" on for rising. So I got my answer.
Therefore, I used the cake baked with tube pan to decorate this birthday cake. I cut the cake into two layers, and made lemon curd as the filling between them. I filled the central "hole" with strawberries dipped in dark chocolate, which made my friends surprised too. For the frosting, I only used whipping cream with icing sugar. I didn’t want the frosting to be too sweet, so I just add enough icing sugar, which made the frosting not too stiff and shiny and caused more difficulties for me when decorating the cake. This is always the problem for me when making cakes since I always look for less-sugar in everything I want to eat. However, I was willing to sacrifice this for the better taste of the cake, which I knew that it would be much more welcomed by my friends.
We had a very good time at the party. We also recorded what was going on and made into a clip. What a memorable friends-gathering to me.
For lemon chiffon cake:
Ingredients: (one 10” tube pan)
- 7 eggs, separated
- 2 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 4 tsp grated lemon zest
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
Directions:
- Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
- Put together egg yolks, water, oil, lemon zest and vanilla in another bowl, whisk until well combined.
- Add the yolk mixture to the flour mixture, beat well.
- In anothe bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy. Then add the cream of tartar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the yolk mixture and mix with a spatula until attaining a uniform batter.
- Pour the batter into the pan. Bake at low rack at 325F for 55 minutes.
(I baked my 8” tube pan at 350F for about 45 minutes)
Lemon curd:
See Coconut cake for the recipe.
YILKA on Tue, 19th May 2009 6:44 pm
I myselft tried this cake with group of friends, all are blown away and could not utter a word. It was simply amazing, far much better than any cake we’ve tried on street. Unbelievably it was done just right inside the ‘Little House’ with seem-to-be-easy method.
I admit that I have zero background on cooking/ingredients/mixing etc; but it took me (and surely will take you) a single moment to feel than love this cake.
And thanks to LnL with their kind help, I did surprise my wife.
Good job and keep it fly
Kokotaru on Tue, 19th May 2009 7:51 pm
You’re always welcomed, bro
Waiting for another treat next time 
Emilie on Tue, 19th May 2009 8:35 pm
I checked out your site from the blogger awards and liked it. I voted for you. I hope you win.
Please check out my site nominated for the best blog design. http://bloggerschoiceawards.com/blogs/show/73022. I hope you will vote for me also. Thanks!
autumnr on Tue, 19th May 2009 8:53 pm
Yummy Yummy!!
I think your baking has reached a new level. Keep on the good work q(^.^)p
Kokotaru on Wed, 20th May 2009 9:36 am
Thank you so much. I’ve looked at your blog and of voted for yours. Good luck!
jo on Wed, 20th May 2009 10:07 pm
Oh wow, this is simply a work of art and I can’t believe that this is your first time doing a birthday cake. It looks like something out of a pastry shop.
Ramya Kiran on Wed, 20th May 2009 10:12 pm
Wow, looks gorgeous! Lovely and very cute presentation. Loved the pink frosting! Good job.
Have a great day!
Ramya
Kokotaru on Wed, 20th May 2009 11:32 pm
@friends: thanks for your generous praise, however, the cake was still so home-made and I do not dare comparing it with one of a pastry shop. Anyway, I was really excited about making this cake.
Michelle on Thu, 21st May 2009 6:06 am
You did a lovely job. The cake is beautiful.
CaliforniaGirl on Thu, 21st May 2009 10:41 pm
Wow!! You are truly talented with your cooking. I love your creativity and quality. I reall enjoy visiting your blog. Keep up the good work.
Kokotaru on Thu, 21st May 2009 11:56 pm
Thank you all for the support. I have more energy to keep on with the work.
CaliforniaGirl on Fri, 22nd May 2009 12:28 am
You’re very welcome. Do you have a you tube channel? I love going on You tube to watch “How to” videos. You should start making video on how to cook your awsome recipes.
Kokotaru on Fri, 22nd May 2009 3:34 pm
I’ve made some short clips on cooking and posted them on You tube, however, they were for fun only and we spoke in Vietnamese
AjJDPqeVAi on Sun, 16th Sep 2012 11:25 pm
ambien online purchase can order ambien online – generic ambien online + no prescription
GDRlbigaKW on Wed, 19th Sep 2012 5:11 pm
klonopin antidepressant klonopin overdose child – long does 2mg klonopin take kick
GcWvVcmlUJ on Wed, 19th Sep 2012 11:03 pm
2mg klonopin buy klonopin from mexico – how much klonopin and alcohol to overdose
xuzzLOEUsP on Thu, 20th Sep 2012 8:03 pm
ambien cost ambien and alcohol high – ambien dosage alcohol
DafVeXnUaA on Mon, 24th Sep 2012 12:16 pm
soma generic where to buy soma online overnight – dosage for carisoprodol 350 mg
LaiPLHNSvQ on Mon, 24th Sep 2012 7:13 pm
order ambien without prescriptions ambien dosage jet lag – ambien withdrawal dreams
rUzqsWbIFs on Mon, 24th Sep 2012 11:49 pm
cheap ambien online ambien overdose death – effectiveness generic ambien cr
uWblXpgUfV on Tue, 25th Sep 2012 4:46 am
order ambien online no prescription ambien generic price walgreens – natural remedies ambien withdrawal
yiVbHTnnhd on Tue, 25th Sep 2012 2:58 pm
order ambien online no prescription generic version ambien – ambien withdrawal chest pain