LOOKING for: Post Christmas Review

16 years ago

Now that Christmas is over I have a few questions about baking:

Firstly, I found a chiffon cake recipe here, got one from my sister-in-law, and found one in Joy of cooking. They were more or less the same and had the same directions: use an ungreased, clean pan for the batter, and hang the pan upside down after baking. I had an almost-new, non-stick bundt pan, followed the directions, and could not get the cake out of the pan. I ended up serving it out of the pan. Can anyone tell me why it must be clean and un-greased? And why do you need to hang the cake upside down after baking? Has anyone ever been able to get a chiffon cake out of the pan cleanly? I would imagine a greased, floured pan would work, but what do I know?

Secondly, I have been baking chocolate cup-cakes for my son for several years and cannot seem to find a nice moist result. The one I have been using recently only partly works if I double the baking powder. It is called chocolate pound cake, called for a loaf pan, but I use it in cup cake paper cups. This year I followed the recipe to a 'T', but it turned out to be very doughy and sort of dry, so I came on this forum and found the chiffon chocolate cake recipe, which I think would have a great taste and texture, but would we be able to peel the paper cups off cleanly to get the cupcakes out? Has anyone ever done this? Just planning for next year, and still looking for a nice moist chocolate cake. BTW, the mayonnaise cake is awful. Thanks ladies.

Northerner.

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Comments (6)

ginger_st_thomas
16 years ago
You probably should have used a 2-piece tube pan which is different from a bundt pan. After the cake is baked in the tube pan & inverted to cool, you run a thin knife or spatula around the edges & the cake comes out when you push the bottom up.
ginger_st_thomas
16 years ago
Here's a good chocolate cupcake recipe:

KILLER CUPCAKES (makes 20-22)
Cupcakes:
4 squares (4 oz) semisweet chocolate
1 tsp vanilla
2 sticks butter
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup flour

Preheat oven to 350Â°. Line standard muffin tins w/paper cupcake liners. In the top part of a double boiler over simmering water, melt the chocolate w/the vanilla & butter. In a large bowl, beat the eggs until thick & add the sugar. Beat in the flour. Fold in the butter-chocolate mixture. Spoon into the prepared tins, filling the cups 2/3 full.

Filling:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
Dash of salt
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Mix the cream cheese, sugar, egg & salt until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop a rounded teaspoon of filling onto the top of each cupcake. Bake 30 minutes.~~ San Francisco Encore
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fearlessem
16 years ago
Northerner --

My understanding of why you are supposed to use a clean ungreased pan for a chiffon cake is that the egg whites provide the loft for the cake, and the batter needs to be able to cling to the sides of the pan as it rises in order to maintain that loft. I agree with ginger-st-thomas that most chiffon cakes are designed to be made in a tube pan... That said, I've made a chiffon cake in a tube pan and never was particularly happy with the way it came out of the pan -- even running the knife as closely to the pan as possible, the sides wound up looking ragged to me... I guess that just calls for frosting! :-)

I would *not* think that a chocolate chiffon cake would come away from cupcake liners cleanly, just as it doesn't really come away from pans cleanly...
northerner_on
Original Author
16 years ago
thank you ladies. Yes,Ginger, I did use a Bundt pan which I bought in preference of a 2-piece tube pan when I was replacing my one piece tube pan. I could see how that would help. Thank you also for the recipe. I will try it, but without the filling, so my son can do his own icing with sprinkles, etc.
Fearlessem: thanks for that very scientific explanation of the use of the un-greased pan (I am a science major myself), and that also explains why it's not a good candidate for cup cakes. You have solved both my problems.Now I am set for next Christmas. Happy baking!!
fearlessem
16 years ago
For what its worth, I've been wanting to try this chocolate cupcake recipe... I typically find buttermilk makes for a nice moist cake, so I think this recipe sounds promising...

Here is a link that might be useful: Chocolate cupcakes with milk chocolate frosting
northerner_on
Original Author
16 years ago
Thank you so much for this recipe,Fearlessem. I was little bit intimidated by the amount of butter in the Killer Cupcakes, so I prefer the oil and butter milk in this one. And the one-bowl aspect is awesome!! Looks like I'll be having chocolate cupcakes before next Christmas. I'll let you know how it turns out.
Northerner.