PUMPKIN CHIFFON CAKE
Recipe just in time for Thanksgiving, by Jana of Jana's Bake Shop, excerpted from her out-of-this-world delicious book Flour Power.
"Imagine that Cinderella ate this cake on her wedding day."

2¼  cups (10oz/285gr) all-purpose flour
1 cup (7oz/200gr) sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. allspice
½ tsp. nutmeg

½ cup (4oz/125ml) vegetable oil
5 eggs, separated
¾ cup (6oz/170gr) pumpkin puree
1 Tbs. orange zest
1/3 cup (3oz/100ml) orange juice

6 egg whites
½ cup (3½oz/100gr) sugar

Directions:  Pre-heat oven 325.  1, ungreased 10” tube pan. In medium sized bowl whisk together dry ingredients. In a smaller bowl, whisk oil, yolks, pumpkin puree, zest and juice. Stir wet ingredients into dry and mix until combined set aside. Pour egg whites into a clean, deep, mixing bowl.
By hand:  Using a balloon whisk, begin beating egg whites until soft peaks form.  At this stage start adding your sugar, just a little at a time and continue beating until stiff, glossy peaks form.
Stand or hand mixer:  Begin mixing on medium speed until soft peaks form.  Increase speed, gradually add sugar and continue beating until peaks are stiff and glossy.
Take 1/3 of egg whites and fold into pumpkin mixture. This helps to lighten the batter, so that when you add the remaining whites you don’t break down the air structure you just developed.  Fold in remaining egg whites until incorporated.  A rubber spatula works best, using wide, careful strokes.
With your rubber spatula drop batter into ungreased tube pan and carefully remove air pockets while levelling batter.
Bake in centre of oven, undisturbed, for 1 hr.
Remove cake from oven.  Turn cake pan upside-down and balance the tube on your prepared set-up.  Allow cake to cool completely.
To remove cake, run a thin knife around pan, being careful not to damage cake.  With cake plate on counter, turn pan upside-down and gently shake until cake releases.  If it is not releasing, run knife around edge of cake again.
Glaze cake with warm chocolate ganache, caramel sauce orange glaze or leave plain and serve with ice cream or flavoured whip cream.

Jana's Bakeshop on Salt Spring produced the most beautiful pies and pastries and caught the attention of Spire Publishing, who collected Jana's Recipes and produced Flour Power. Available at Salt Spring Books and on Amazon. While Jana has sold the shop and moved on to new adventures, you can still taste those amazing goodies by making them at home.