Orange Apricot Chiffon Cake (#10)

I just can't seem to keep up on this blog.  I don't fear making a cake every week for the rest of the year but sitting down to tell you about it may just prove to be a whole other story.
I have decided that home-schooling and having a toddler is quite the challenge.  There is always, always something to be done around here and there is almost always some one needing something from me.  At the moment two little people are outside, one is playing down stairs and the littlest of them all is asleep.  I am not going to look behind me at the mountain of laundry for the next little while so I can escape for a few minutes to cake land.  Oh that would be a happy place indeed. 

 Last week I asked you on Facebook to choose between two cakes and I went with the Orange Apricot Chiffon.  It was super yummy.  It once again came out a lot more like the texture of a banana nut bread. Or something of the sort.  It was dense and hearty.  I have determined that trying to bake healthier cake with whole wheat flour is just going to have that effect.  But it was still really good and super moist.  It has a bazillion eggs in it.
I even had to send Mark to the store half way though the process to get more eggs.  This cake has a wonderful citrus flavor and topped with a little chocolate sauce made it more dessertish.  I really like chocolate and orange/apricot flavor together.  Oh yum.  But I also loved the cake just plain. 

This week I am going to give a cake away to one of you.  Just answer this question in the comment area and I will randomly select a winner and bring you a cake.  So sorry for those of you out of town.  I just can't drive that far.  
Tell me what is your favorite cake? 

Recipe for Chiffon cake: preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes in a tube pan.
This cake is kind of a doozy to make so don't just try to whip it up if you don't have time.
2 medium size oranges
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 &1/4 cup flour
1 tbs. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup finely chopped dried apricots
4 lg. egg yolks
8 xtr. lg. egg whites
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 cup brown sugar

1. Prepare tube pan by cutting out a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pan.
2. Grate off the orange peel with a zester or fine grater. Place in a bowl and set aside.
3. Squeeze the juice from the oranges into a small sauce pan and simmer on low to reduce the juice to
    two tablespoons. 
4. In a mixing bowl, combine the water, oil, vanilla, orange peel and two tbs. juice.
5. Sift together the flour and baking powder in large mixer.
6. Add salt, and the first two sugars.  Not the last 1/4 cup. yet.
7. Add the water mixture and dried apricots and egg yolks to flour and blend with a spatula.
8. Place egg whites in a separate mixer and beat on high till frothy.
    Add the cream of tartar and beat.  Slowly add the 1/4 cup brown sugar.
9. Beat till glossy and firm but not stiff peaks.
10. Transfer to prepared tube pan and bake for about an hour.  Or until tooth pick comes out clean.
11. When you take it out of the oven you should invert it over a bottle or some how put it upside down so that the cake does not turn in on itself.  My cake was plenty firm and did not do this and I actually removed it from the pan right away.  My tube pan is in two separate pieces so it makes it easier to do. 

Well, there you go.  Orange Apricot Chiffon Cake. I told you it was a doozy.  I also said I was going to bake the mocha angel food cake this week and I ended up making some thing different.  I will tell you about it later.  It was really good though.  :)  Happy cake baking.