What Is The “Secret” Ingredient For Chiffon Cake?

Lemon Chiffon Cake Day, celebrated on March 29 every year, commemorates the sweetness of the flavorful light lemon cake that was invented by Harry Baker in 1927. Is there someone who doesn’t love the very soft, spongy, yummy layer of cake? Probably not.

Cake is the most cherished dessert by everyone of every age from everywhere, and with so many different types and flavors, cakes fill the hearts of many with yummy warmth.

• 1920s – Chiffon cake was first invented during the 1920s as an alternative to angel food cake,
• 1927 – The recipe for the chiffon cake was a closely guarded secret for 20 years.  Henry Baker an insurance salesman-turned-caterer tinkered with ingredients until 1927 when he came upon the perfect combination of ingredients and methods to produce the airy richness he was looking for.  
• 1927 – Baker kept the recipe to himself, offering his services to the Brown Derby Restaurant in Los Angeles which catered to Hollywood’s elite.
• 1947 – Henry Baker’s secret recipe contained no butter, fat, or shortening. Baker added vegetable oil. Baker sold his recipe to General Mills for an undisclosed amount. The rest is baking history.
• 1947 – According to General Mills, the chiffon cake, invented in 1927, was the first new cake to come along in 100 years.
• 1948 – Chiffon Cake created a sensation when the recipe was published in the May 1948 issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine.
• 1950s – Among many flavors, Lemon Chiffon Cake, offering a refreshing citrusy twist, became a favorite in North American households.
• 1990s – National Lemon Chiffon Cake Day began to be recognized and celebrated every year on March 29, honoring this delightfully light and airy dessert.
• Lemon Chiffon Cake falls into the hybrid category, combining the rich properties of shortened cakes with the light, fluffy qualities of sponge cakes, thanks to the addition of oil and beaten egg whites.
• Both chiffon and angel food cakes share an exceptionally light and airy texture, there are some key differences between them. Angel food cake uses only egg whites and no yolks, which gives it a stark white color and slightly less density. It also does not contain any fat, such as oil or butter, unlike chiffon cake. Instead, angel food cake gets its richness from the egg whites and sugar only.
• The texture of angel food cake is also more delicate and spongy than chiffon cake, as it uses a large amount of whipped egg whites to create its structure.
• One slice (1/12 of the cake) of lemon chiffon contains approximately 400 calories.
• Many believe Chiffon cake is the ‘original’ wedding cake filling. A chiffon cake is a very light cake made with vegetable oil, eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, and flavorings.
• The lack of butter means that chiffon cakes lack much of the rich flavor of butter cakes, hence they are typically served with flavorful sauces or other accompaniments, such as chocolate or fruit fillings.
• California and Arizona produce 95% of the entire U.S. lemon crop.
• During the European Renaissance, fashionable ladies used lemon juice to redden their lips.
• Lemon trees bloom and produce fruit year-round. Each tree can produce between 500 and 600 pounds of lemons a year.
• The average sized lemon has eight seeds and around three tablespoons of lemon juice. That means it may take two lemons to make a lemon chiffon cake.
• A lemon tree can live around 50 years and each tree planted in the ground can produce up to 800 lemons a year. That’s a lot of lemon chiffon cake from just one tree!
• Like many fruits, before they become mature lemons begin on the tree as a flower blossom.
• India is the largest producer of lemons in the world. They are followed by Mexico, China, Argentina and Brazil.

Sources:

National Day Calendar

Foodimentary

Jamie Geller

The Nibble

National Today

Holiday Calendar

AllRecipes