Mid-Century Meals: Historical Food Fortnightly Challenge #25

25. Orange You Glad May 3 - May 14

It can be orange-flavored, orange-colored, or just plain oranges - but the challenge is “orange”!

Sunday, May 10th was Mother's Day. A wonderful day to honor those who have cared for us and loved us. It was also Patrick's birthday! So in double celebration I wanted to bake a cake. Not that I need a reason to bake a cake, but as I get older and more prone to gaining weight, I need a very good excuse to have an entire cake in the house just begging to be eaten!

The CBS Homemakers Exchange Recipes from 1950 and 1951, the years Patrick and I were born, are still our resource for all the Historical Food Fortnightly Challenges. We find our inspiration in the January, February, March 1951 booklet for an Orange Chiffon Cake. Oh, yum!

The ingredients are very basic and usually on hand in our house.

The cake flour is sifted and then sifted again with the sugar, salt, and baking powder. A well is created in the center of the dry ingredients and the orange rind, orange juice, vegetable oil, and egg yokes are ready.

The wet ingredients are added and stirred together until smooth.

Seven egg whites beaten until stiff with the cream of tartar added during beating.

Now we're ready to add the egg yoke mixture to the egg whites.

Gradually adding the egg yoke mixture to the egg whites and folding gently.

Ready for the pan.

The only tube pan I have is a Bundt pan and while I'm a bit worried about the cake releasing since there is no pan preparation, I go for it.

Baked for 55 minutes and the cake springs back so I shortcut the instructions and don't increase the temperature and time.

But I do follow the instructions about cooling the cake in the inverted position.

With a little loosening with a spatula and a few knocks against the table (per instructions) the cake loosens and sits prettily on the cake stand.

Since it's already cool, the cake can be cut immediately and served and that is exactly what we do!

Don't you just love that beautiful plate?! It's part of a tea service that was given to me by the wonderful attendees at the Party Like A Vanderbilt weekend I organized at Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. The service is a reproduction of the circa 1888 dark turquoise porcelain used by the Vanderbilt family. I will treasure this gift forever!! To celebrate the birthday/holiday I pour Mimosas, plate our Orange Chiffon Cake, and we enjoy the treat! Patrick called it "incredible". Yay!