Chiffon Cake with Saucy Strawberries

Ingredients

• 7 eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 ½ cups sugar, divided
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• ½ cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt

For the strawberries:

• 4 cups quartered fresh strawberries
• ¼ cup dry red wine
• ¼ cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• Sweetened whipped cream, for serving

Directions

1. Heat your oven to 325ºF and place an ungreased removable bottom tube pan on a large baking sheet.
2. Separate the eggs and add the egg whites to the bowl of your stand mixer along with the lemon juice. Set the yolks aside. Fit the mixer with the whisk attachment and whip the egg whites on high until soft peaks hold, about 1 to 2 minutes. With the mixer running, slowly sprinkle in ¾ cup of the sugar and continue to whip just until the whites reach stiff peaks, about 2 to 3 more minutes. 
3. Transfer the egg whites into a separate bowl and add the egg yolks and remaining ¾ cup of sugar to the bowl of your stand mixer. Reattach the whisk and whip the yolks and sugar until light and almost doubled in volume, about 2 to 3 minutes. With the mixer running, slowly stream in the oil, mixing until fully incorporated. Add in the milk, vanilla extract, and almond extract and whip just until combined.
4. Remove the bowl from your stand mixer and sift over the flour, baking powder, and salt. Using a spatula, fold in the dry ingredients. Gently add about a third of the whipped egg whites into the bowl and fold in until almost combined. Fold in the remaining egg whites in two more additions, being careful not to over mix and deflate the egg whites.
5. Gently transfer the cake batter into the ungreased tube pan and bake without opening the oven door for 45 minutes. Turn the heat up to 350ºF and continue to bake for another 10 to15 minutes or until the cake is golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
6. Place the neck of a glass bottle such as an empty wine bottle into the centre of the tube pan. Carefully invert the cake and bottle so that the cake hangs upside down over the bottle and cool to room temperature, about 3 hours.
7. While the cake cools, combine the strawberries with the red wine, sugar, and vanilla. Stir well, cover, and store in the refrigerator to macerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
8. When the cake is cooled, run a thin knife around the edge of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Remove the cake from the outside pan and use the knife to loosen the bottom and centre of the cake from the tube portion of the pan. Carefully turn the cake out, slice, and serve with the red wine strawberries and a dollop of whipped cream.