Mother's Day Special: Lemon-Orange Chiffon Cake

A Mother's Life--An Eternal Career!

by Angell James

A mother's charge--an immortal creature!

A mother's duty--to train her child up for God, heaven and eternity!

A mother's dignity--to educate the family of the Almighty Creator of the universe!

A mother's difficulty--to raise a fallen, sinful creature to holiness and virtue!

A mother's encouragement--the promise of Divine grace to assist her in her momentous duties!

A mother's relief--to bear the burden of her cares to God in prayer!

A mother's hope--to meet her child in glory everlasting and spend eternal ages of delight with him or her before the throne of God!

I am blessed to have a mother who is all that this poem describes and much more.  Daily she sacrifices much for the sake of her family which you can see is not a small feat. She spends her day working with six of her children, helping them to succeed in their schoolwork. Then, she will stay up late correcting the work of seven children. And she does not sleep in, but will awake early in the morning to get ready for the next day ahead of her.  She does not lay idle--but is constantly working and doing something with her hands.  Even when we gather in the living room, after dinner, to read as a family, she is folding laundry, trying to correct schoolwork, working on the school schedule, and on occasion, holding the "baby of the fam" (Phinehas-2) so that he'll go to sleep. 

She is the loving, caring, sacrificial mother that I only hope I may become one day. I love her very much and am so blessed to have been placed in this family.

Saturday, the eve of Mother's Day, a friend was graduating from the University of Idaho as a Second Lieutenant.  We attended his pinning and commissioning as well as his reception afterwards.  We did not get home from the whole event until 2:30 Sunday morning.  

As sacrilegious as this may sound, church was CANCELED--yes you read that right--church was cancelled because the majority of our very small church was still in Idaho because they did not want to make the trek back so late at night.  

Some of us (Mom, Dad, and Simeon) were able to sleep in till 12:30 pm.  And some of us were awakened by loud little ones who slept the whole way home and didn't feel the need to sleep in. :P  My wonderful sister, Tilly (16) fixed a simple, scrumptious breakfast that we ate at 12:45 pm.  Phinehas was falling apart during breakfast, from waking up too early.  Once he got up, we went for a walk in the Harbor, then Dad took us to Yo! G's Frozen Yogurt Shop~ a new frozen yogurt place that we had yet to try.  It was really good--but of course, I'm biased...a sucker for frozen yogurt ;)


Tilly took the first three pictures

 Jared, Timothy, Phoebe and me

Sisters!!  Tilly-16, Katherine-14 and me.

 

Mother and Son

 

Back Row: Kenan-10, Nathanael-12, Timothy-11

Front Row:  Jared-8, Phinehas-2, and Phoebe-6

(Tilly also took this one.)

<3  The beautiful little town in which I live  <3

 Nathanael (12)

 Jared (8)

Phoebe (6)

Phinehas (2)

 Timothy (11)

 Who says that big boys can't still hold their mom's hand??

 Saw this on a Hummer :)

 Taking a break, waiting for others to catch up.

Mr. Joe Cool (a.k.a. Simeon)

 

Fro! G's Frozen Yogurt Shop

 Goofing around in the yard.
Nathanael took this one and the one below :).

 Love this picture


In a 1-cup measuring cup, add 2 tablespoons cornstarch (or arrowroot powder), add flour into the cup until you have 1 full cup. Dump into a large bowl.  Repeat this process once more.

 To the flour mixture, add 1 1/3 cups sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder, and 1 teaspoon salt. 
Stir together until fully combined.

 In a small bowl, mix together 1/2 cup coconut oil, 5 large egg yolks (save the whites!!!),
 and 3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice.

 

Make a "well" in center of flour mixture.  Pour orange juice mixture into "well."

Whisk as hard as you can for 3-4 minutes; till smooth.

 Stir in 3 tablespoons orange zest and 2 tablespoons lemon zest.
Mix together well. 

 In a medium bowl, combine the reserved egg whites and 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar.

Beat on medium/high speed until stiff peaks form (about 8-10 minutes).

 With a rubber spatula, gently fold egg whites into batter.

 Pour into 2 greased and floured 9" round cake pans. 
Bake at 350 for 17-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. 
Remove from pans onto the wire racks and cool completely (approximately 1 hour).


Meanwhile, in a stand-up mixer bowl, combine 1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter, 3 tablespoons orange zest and 1 tablespoon lemon zest.  Beat on medium/high speed until creamy.  

Gradually add powdered sugar alternately with 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice and 5 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice. Beating on low until blended after each addition.  

If needed, add more orange juice (1 tablespoon MAX) just 1 teaspoon at a time, until you reach your desired consistency.

Choose a decorative serving plate that will complement the cake well. 

Spread a little frosting in center of the plate to help hold the cake on the plate.

Once cake layers have cooled fully, place one cake layer on the plate.

Frost the top of the first layer. Place second layer on top of the frosted layer. 

 Frost the top and sides of the finished cake.

Try not to serve the slices too thickly... it may be a little rich for some people. 
The cake itself is not rich, but the frosting helps to make it a little more so.

The Recipe:

Lemon-Orange Chiffon Cake

~MariahCameron~

4 tablespoons cornstarch (or arrowroot powder)

Flour

1 1/3 cups sugar 

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt 

1/2 cup coconut oil

5 large eggs, separated 

3/4 cup fresh orange juice 

3 tablespoons orange zest

2 tablespoons lemon zest 

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 350°. 

In a 1-cup measuring cup, add 2 tablespoons cornstarch (or arrowroot powder), add flour into the cup until you have 1 full cup. Dump into a large bowl.  Repeat this process once more.  

To the flour mixture, add 1 1/3 cups sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder, and 1 teaspoon salt. 

Stir together until fully combined.

Make a well in center of flour mixture; add oil, egg yolks, and orange juice.

Beat at medium-high speed 3 to 4 minutes or until smooth. Stir in zest.

Beat egg whites and cream of tartar at medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.

Gently fold into flour mixture.

Spoon batter into 2 greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans.

Bake at 350° for 17 to 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely (about 1 hour).

Spread frosting between the layers and on top and sides of cake.

Yield:  16-18 servings

<3 Enjoy!!