Pink Lemonade Cake

(from 226-2tone’s recipe box)

Makes one cake

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
To translate our favorite summer sipper into a playful pink cake, we started with our basic chiffon cake recipe. Adding lemon juice, lemon zest, and a few drops of red food coloring to the batter replicates the flavor and color of pink lemonade, and a tangy cream cheese frosting—also bolstered with citrus—tops it off. For a final touch, a ring of sugared lemon slices—pink, of course—circles the cake.

Source: Cook's Country April/May 2013 (from RecipeThing user Bethany)

Categories: Desserts

Ingredients

  • 5 large eggs, separated
  • 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) sugar
  • 1 1/3 cups (5 2/3 ounces) cake flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2/3 cup water
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 4 teaspoons grated lemon zest plus 2 tablespoons juice (2 lemons)
  • Red food coloring
  • 2 recipes Fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting (see related content)
  • 1 recipe Pink-Sugared Lemon Slices (see related content)

Directions

  1. FOR THE CAKE: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Using stand mixer fitted with whisk, whip egg whites and cream of tartar on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-high and whip whites to soft, billowy mounds, about 1 minute. Gradually add 2 tablespoons sugar and whip until glossy, stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Combine flour, remaining sugar, baking powder, and salt in large bowl. Whisk egg yolks, water, oil, lemon zest and 2 tablespoons juice, and 5 to 7 drops food coloring together in medium bowl until smooth. Whisk yolk mixture into flour mixture until smooth. Whisk one-third of whipped egg whites into batter, then gently fold in remaining whites in 2 additions until well combined. Pour mixture into ungreased 16-cup tube pan. Bake until skewer inserted in center comes out clean and cracks in cake appear dry, 55 to 65 minutes. Invert pan onto wire rack and let cake cool completely in pan, about 3 hours.

  2. TO ASSEMBLE: Stir 3 to 4 drops food coloring into frosting until well combined. Unmold cake onto plate and frost top and sides in even layer. Decorate along bottom edge with sugared lemon slices and serve.

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