Maple-Walnut Chiffon Cake

Ingredients

• Cake:
• Cooking spray
• 1 1/2 cups cake flour (about 6 ounces)
• 3/4 cup sugar, divided
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup walnut meal
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/3 cup walnut oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 large egg whites
• Maple cream:
• 2/3 cup maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
• Dash of salt
• 2 cups frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed
• 12 walnut halves

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. To prepare cake, coat 2 (8-inch) round cake pan with cooking spray; line bottom of pans with wax paper. Coat wax paper with cooking spray; set aside.
3. Lightly spoon cake flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine cake flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and baking powder in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Add walnut meal; make a well in center of mixture. Combine 1/2 cup syrup, oil, and vanilla. Add to flour mixture; beat with a mixer at medium speed until blended.
4. Beat salt and egg whites with a mixer at high speed until soft peaks form using clean, dry beaters. Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Gently stir one-fourth of egg white mixture into flour mixture; gently fold in remaining egg white mixture. Spoon into prepared pans. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in pans on wire racks. Remove from pans; peel off waxed paper. Cool completely on wire racks.
5. To prepare maple cream, combine 2/3 cup syrup and the next 3 ingredients (through dash of salt) in a small saucepan, and stir until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium heat, and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Cover and chill. Gently fold in whipped topping. Refrigerate 1 hour.
6. Place 1 cake layer on a plate; spread with 1 cup maple cream. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining maple cream over top and sides of cake. Arrange walnut halves on top. Store cake loosely covered in refrigerator.