Spring Thaws and Blue Moons

Spring thaw is, we are told, coming soon. I am one of those rare birds who loves the snow and chill of winter, and I find spring to be too muddy and messy. Springs only saving grace is a keen pair of rain boots and seasonal beer.

With all of my recent dessert posts, you'd think I inherited my mother's sweet tooth. In reality I am a salty girl. I've never met a chip I didn't invite home. Some of you might remember days of wine and roses. I recall days of Cheetos and Rolling Rock. There was one summer in particular a long long time ago when I consumed a steady diet of salty snacks and cheap beer and I was as svelte and healthy as a twenty-something ought to be.

These days I can occasionally finish one beer and tend to save my beloved chips for treat time, but I do appreciate the flavors of spring in a beverage. Blue Moon Almond Chiffon cake was inspired by the late winter seasonal Blue Moon beer, but it would be equally lovely baked with your favorite ale.


Blue Moon Almond 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
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup Blue Moon Valencia Grove Amber beer
3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
Zest from one Meyer lemon

Whisk dry ingredients in beater bowl. In separate bowl beat until smooth oil, beer, yolks, vanilla, almond, and zest. Add flour all at once and beat until batter forms.

In clean bowl 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 flour 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:
In small sauce pan bring to simmer juice of 1 Meyer lemon, 1/4 cup sugar, and ~1 cup Blue Moon Valencia Grove Amber beer. Simmer until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and cool.

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 and garnish with slivered almonds..