Am I Blue?

I mentioned earlier this week a Star Trek Voyager episode in which Neelix bakes an enormous blue cake, and that T wanted a similar treat. T rarely makes culinary requests so I was happy to oblige him. The cake was flavored with sweet cherries and vodka, and topped with a blue frosting fit for any Star Trek fan.

Blue Cherry Vodka Chiffon Cake
For the batter:
1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup pitted sweet fresh or frozen cherries
1/4 cup vodka
3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zest from one lemon

Whisk dry ingredients in beater bowl. Process cherries and vodka until pureed. In separate bowl beat until smooth cherries, yolks, vanilla, and zest. Add flour all at once and beat until batter forms.

Beat with wire whisk attachment until foamy 6 egg whites and 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar. Slowly add 1/4 cup sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Whisk 1/3 of the whites into the batter, then carefully fold in remaining egg whites.

Pour batter into clean angel food cake pan. Bake in preheated 325 degree oven about 50 minutes or until done. Cool upside down.

For the soaking syrup:
Process 1 cup cherries with 1/2 cup vodka and 1/4 cup sugar. When cake is cool poke holes in top and pour 1/2 of syrup over cake. Let cake soak syrup then remove from pan and place bottom side up on cake platter. Poke holes in cake and pour remaining syrup over cake.

Frost with 7-minute frosting that is colored blue.