Mocha Chiffon Cake

This cake had great potential.  I mean, anything that uses 7 eggs has to be good, right?!  I snagged the recipe from a magazine several years ago and made it to take to dinner with friends.  I always enjoy a good excuse to bake a real cake, but this one ended up being pretty dry.  I should have started checking after just 50 minutes.  The glaze was delicious and a dollop of ice cream made up for some of the dryness.  

3/4 cup boiling water

3 Tbsp instant coffee

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

7 large eggs, yolks and whites separated (you'll need 5 yolks and 7 whites)

1/2 cup canola oil

2 tsp vanilla

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 cups sugar

2 cups cake flour (not self-rising . . . look up how to add cornstarch to make your own)

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Chocolate Glaze:

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 Tbsp light corn syrup or sugar

4 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped (I used chips)

1 Tbsp coffee liqueur or coffee

Heat oven to 325.  You'll need a 10-inch tube pan with a removable bottom and tube.  I used a bundt pan.  In large bowl, whisk water and espresso powder until dissolved; whisk in cocoa powder until blended and smooth.  Whisk in 5 egg yolks, oil, vanilla, baking powder and salt until smooth.  Whisk in 1 3/4 cups of the sugar, and then the flour; whisk 1 minute until batter is smooth.

In large bowl of stand mixer, beat the 7 egg whites until frothy; add cream of tartar and beat on medium speed until soft peaks form.  Gradually beat in remaining 1/4 cup sugar.  Beat on high speed until stiff yet billowy peaks form when beaters are lifted.  This took me a long time, just so you know.  Stir about 2 cups of the whites into the cocoa mixture to loosen.  Gently fold in the remaining whites until batter is evenly mocha-colored.  Pour batter into pan.

Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes (that was too long for my cake), or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Turn pan upside down onto a wire rack.  Cool completely.

Using a long, thin knife, release edges of cake and around the middle tube.  Lift cake from sides of pan.  Release cake away from bottom of pan.  Invert onto wire rack.  I didn't do any of this since I used a bundt pan.  

Glaze:  Heat cream, butter and corn syrup in a medium saucepan until simmering; remove from heat and add chocolate.  Let stand 5 minutes.  Whisk until smooth.  Whisk in liqueur.  Pour glaze into a glass measure.  Let stand at room temperature 20 minutes or until cool and slightly thickened.  Slowly pour and spread over top of cake, easing glaze over edges and letting it drip down sides and center hole of cake.  Refrigerate to set.  Bring to room temperature before serving.