Recipe finder: Hotel known for layer cake

Pimlico Cake

Serves 12

Chiffon Cake:

2 1/2 cups cake flour (or all-purpose flour)

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

4 egg yolks

1/2 cup water (hot)

4 ounces butter (melted in the water)

1 teaspoon vanilla

10 egg whites

1 1/2 cups sugar

Bavarian Cream:

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

6 egg yolks

2 cups half-and-half

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup heavy cream, whipped to stiff peaks

Chocolate Glaze:

16 ounces heavy cream

2 1/2 cups dark bittersweet chocolate chips (or one 1-pound bar)

Chopped walnuts for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9-inch cake pans.

For the cake: Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In another bowl, whisk egg yolks, water, butter and vanilla together; set aside.

Whip the egg whites at high speed until they form soft peaks. Add sugar to the beaten egg whites and mix just long enough to blend in sugar (about 20 seconds).

Mix all 3 bowls of ingredients together gently but swiftly with a rubber spatula. You should be folding the batter over onto itself with each stroke, rather than stirring back and forth. Try not to over-mix. When all ingredients are blended, pour one-half into each pan and bake for about 25 minutes, testing the center with a pick for doneness. Cool on wire racks. Cut each of the cakes in half, yielding 4 layers.

For the Bavarian cream: Sift the sugar and cornstarch over the egg yolks and whisk to combine. In a heavy saucepan, heat the half-and-half until hot. Pour it over the yolk mixture, whisking while you’re pouring. Return this mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium-high heat. You are going to cook this into custard, so the important thing is to keep whisking and watching.