Inverting a chocolate chiffon cake while it cools is key to its delicate texture.
One bite of this chocolate chiffon cake will convince you that it's time to use a chiffon cake to establish your own bragging rights. Recipes for light and airy chiffon cakes have been around since the 1920s and were once a poplar ways for home bakers to show off their skills. Now's the time to reclaim some of that glory.
You'll need a 10-cup tube pan, or what some bakers call an angel food cake pan. (Don't try to substitute a Bundt pan, which won't hold all the batter and makes the cake rubbery and tough.)
This hint might sound like a prank, but inverting the cake while it cools is key to its delicate texture. When the cake comes out of the oven, gently flip the pan over and slip the center tube over the long neck of a heavy bottle, such as a wine or vinegar bottle, which suspends the cake above the counter so that its spongy texture doesn't collapse before it has a chance to cool and set. It's easy, a