INGREDIENTS
2 cups sifted cake flour
1/4 cup cocoa
1 1/2 cups sugar (superfine is best, regular is fine), divided
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup champagne
5 tbsp vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
7 large egg yolks
7 large egg whites, at room temperature
METHOD FOR MAKING THE CAKE
Preheat the oven to 325F. Get out a 10-inch tube pan, but do not grease it.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour,cocoa, the sugar (reserving 2 tbsp), baking powder and salt.
In a medium bowl, whisk together in the champagne, vegetable oil, vanilla and egg yolks, then pour into the dry ingredients and whisk until just smooth.
In another large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks. Add in the remaining 2 tbsp of sugar gradually, starting when the whites begin to get foamy.
Once the egg whites have reached stiff peaks (better to be a bit soft than ovenbeaten), gently whisk 1/4 of the egg whites into the champagne batter to lighten it. Gently, working in two additions, fold the remaining beaten whites into the champagne batter until no streaks of egg white foam remain visible and the batter is a uniform color. Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl well.
Pour into the ungreased tube pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, until the top of the cake springs back when gently touched and a toothpich inserted into the center comes out clean.
Invert cake over a bottle (or onto a wire rack if your pan has “feet” to hold it up) and let cool completely. Once cooled, run a knife around the edges and turn cake out onto a serving platter. Store in an airtight container.
2 cups sifted cake flour
1/4 cup cocoa
1 1/2 cups sugar (superfine is best, regular is fine), divided
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup champagne
5 tbsp vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
7 large egg yolks
7 large egg whites, at room temperature
METHOD FOR MAKING THE CAKE
Preheat the oven to 325F. Get out a 10-inch tube pan, but do not grease it.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour,cocoa, the sugar (reserving 2 tbsp), baking powder and salt.
In a medium bowl, whisk together in the champagne, vegetable oil, vanilla and egg yolks, then pour into the dry ingredients and whisk until just smooth.
In another large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks. Add in the remaining 2 tbsp of sugar gradually, starting when the whites begin to get foamy.
Once the egg whites have reached stiff peaks (better to be a bit soft than ovenbeaten), gently whisk 1/4 of the egg whites into the champagne batter to lighten it. Gently, working in two additions, fold the remaining beaten whites into the champagne batter until no streaks of egg white foam remain visible and the batter is a uniform color. Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl well.
Pour into the ungreased tube pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, until the top of the cake springs back when gently touched and a toothpich inserted into the center comes out clean.
Invert cake over a bottle (or onto a wire rack if your pan has “feet” to hold it up) and let cool completely. Once cooled, run a knife around the edges and turn cake out onto a serving platter. Store in an airtight container.
