Sometimes when I make this cake I like to sub 1/4 cup of the cake flour for spelt flour to give it a little more flavor and heartiness, but you don’t have to.
To serve cook a sliced pear in a little wine and sugar (Mix about 1 cup of wine, red or white, and a cup of water, and 1/4 cup sugar (or honey). Add a strip of citrus peel, either orange or lemon, and squeeze half of that fruit into the mixture. If you have star anise add one to the liquid. Simmer the pears for about 20 minutes.) There is no science to it. Make a liquid that tastes bright, slightly spiced, and sweet and gently simmer your fruit
Serve the cake with a dollop of the coconut yogurt you used in the dressing or us some other plain yogurt you love.
You'll need a 9" cake pan for this recipe.
While there are pans specifically made for chiffons and angel cakes I have always used a regular pan.
Do not grease the pan but place a parchment circle at the bottom if you want the extra insurance.
Ingredients
2 Tablespoons loose Earl Grey tea
1/2 cup sugar
4 Tablespoons milk
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
4 eggs
1 cup cake flour or (2/3 cups cake flour + 1/3 cup spelt flour)
Preheat the oven to 350º
Make the earl grey sugar by grinding the leaves into a powder in a coffee grinder then combining with the sugar.
Separate the egg yolks from the whites. You can put the whites straight into a kitchen aid bowl if that is what you are using. (Using a hand mixer is fine too.) Use metal or glass bowls and make sure the whites contain no yolk since any fat inhibits meringue.
Put the yolks in a large mixing bowl add the oil, milk, vanilla, salt, and earl grey sugar. Whisk well to combine.
Sift in the flour and baking powder into the egg yolk mixture and combine.
Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar on the lowest setting for 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium for 2 minutes and then one notch higher. The whites will go from clear to foamy and then the air bubbles will get smaller and smaller as you go. You want a tight glossy stiff peaked meringue BUT you sent want to beat it so much that they start to deflate and look like stiff, broke, pieces of foam.
To check for firm peaks, lift the whisk out of the bowl and set it upside down. The egg whites should form a peak with a slightly drooping peak.
Combine the egg whites and egg yolk mixture. Do this in three batches. The first third can be stirred in with the whisk attachment to loosen up the mixture. The next two thirds should be folded in gently with a floppy spatula. Work from the middle of the bowl towards the edge, moving the spatula up and out.
Pour the batter into your pan.
Bake until the cake is bouncy when lightly pressed on top— start checking it after 20 minutes.
When the cake is done, remove it from the oven and immediately
invert it so that it cools upside down. This will keep it from collapsing in the center.
Wait until it is completely cooled then run a small off-set spatula (one of the all-time best kitchen tools that everyone should own!) or a knife along the edge of the cake pan.