Pumpkin Chiffon Cake

I've had the strongest urge to bake lately!! So, when Rachel Ray's magazine came in the mail yesterday, I scoured the pages for inspiration.  I came across a very interesting recipe for Pumpkin Chiffon Cake and after reading multiple tweets lately from friends who are pumpkin crazed, it just seemed like a sign!  About 10 minutes after putting it into the oven, I realized why everyone is some pumpkin crazed lately.  I didn't care what it came out tasting like because the smells of pumpkin throughout my house were worth it no matter what!  This recipe involves alot of egg whites and plenty of folding them into the batter, so have patience because it will pay off immediately when it hits the oven!

Pumpkin Chiffon Cake
by Tracey Seaman
Everyday with Rachel Ray, November 2010

1 cup flour
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs, separated, plus 5 egg whites, at room temperature
1 cup canned pure pumpkin puree
Confectioner's sugar, for dusting

1.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 3/4 cup of the granulated sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder and the salt.  In a medium bowl, combine all of the egg yolks with the pumpkin puree.  Stir the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture until smooth.
2.  Use an electric mixture with the whisk attachment to whip the remaining 9 egg whites at medium speed until frothy.  With the mixer still on, add the remaining 1/2 cup of granulated sugar.  Increase the speed to high and beat until stiff but moist.  You will need to do this with a metal or glass bowl.
3.  Add 1/4 of the egg white mixture to the pumpkin batter, folding just until no streaks remain.  Fold in the remaining egg white mixture.  Then pour the batter into a 10 inch tube pan with a removable bottom and bake until springy, 55 minutes.
4.  Let the cake cool in the cake pan, then run a knife around all of the edges so the cake comes out clean.  Dust with the confectioner's sugar to serve.

The recipe says one serving has only 123 calories and 2 grams of carbs! As if it wasn't amazing enough! I will definitely try to slip this recipe into our Thanksgiving Dinner in place of the traditional Pumpkin Pie!