Ingredients

2 1/4 cups cake flour (not self-rising) 

1 1/2 cups sugar 

1 tablespoon baking powder 

1 teaspoon kosher salt 

1/2 cup vegetable oil 

6 large eggs, separated 

Zest of 1 lemon 

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract 

Coffee Frosting

Coffee Crunch

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add 3/4 cup water, oil, egg yolks, zest, and vanilla; beat until smooth.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk egg whites on medium-high speed. With machine running, add remaining 3/4 cup sugar in a slow steady stream, beating until incorporated and stiff glossy peaks form.

Remove bowl from mixer. Gently but thoroughly, fold beaten egg whites into batter, in two additions. Pour batter into a 10-inch tube pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Remove from oven, and invert onto a narrow necked bottle if your pan doesn’t have feet. Let stand until cool, about 1 hour, before removing pan.

Place cake on a serving platter. Cover cake with an even layer of frosting. Just before serving, sprinkle top and sides of cake generously with coffee crunch.