Recipe by Deannie Henson, as reported by Helen Dollaghan in the March 4, 1973, edition of The Denver Post. Makes 1 cake.
Ingredients
6 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour which has been sifted twice before measuring
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon grated orange rind (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 egg whites at room temperature
Directions
Beat egg yolks until thick and lemon colored. Gradually beat in sugar. Sift together flour, salt and cream of tartar. (Cream of tartar is not added to egg whites as in a conventional sponge cake.) Add flour mixture alternately with orange juice to egg yolks. Mix on low speed just long enough to blend ingredients. Do not overbeat. Add orange rind and vanilla. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Carefully fold yolk mixture into egg whites, using about 30 fold-over strokes. (To fold, cut down through mixture with a large spoon or rubber spatula, lift up and fold over. Do not stir or beat.) Pour batter into ungreased 9-inch tube pan. Using spatula, cut gently through batter to remove large air bubbles. Bake in oven preheated to 375 degrees about 50 minutes or until cake springs back when pressed lightly with finger. Invert pan. Let cake cool completely in pan. (It will collapse if removed from pan while still warm.) Loosen sides and center tube with knife. Gently remove cake. If desired, glaze cake with 2 cups powdered sugar which has been mixed with about 3 tablespoons hot milk and orange juice to taste. For additional decoration, mix coconut with food coloring of your choice, and sprinkle over glaze.
