CHOCOLATE LOVER'S CHIFFON CAKE

Steps:

• Make cake: In large electric mixer bowl, let whites warm to room temperature, about 1 hour.
• Into cocoa in small bowl, stir boiling water; stir until smooth; let cool 1/2 hour.
• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Sift flour with sugar, soda and salt in large bowl; make well in center.
• Pour in oil, yolks and vanilla and cocoa.
• With wooden spoon, beat just until smooth.
• Sprinkle cream of tartar over egg whites and beat on high speed.
• Beat until very stiff peaks form when beater is slowly raised.
• Do not underbeat.
• Pour batter over whites.
• With whisk, and an under-and-over motion, gently fold to combine.
• Turn into ungreased 10-inch tube pan.
• Bake 60-65 minutes, until top springs back when pressed with finger.
• Invert over neck of a bottle (I use a full 2-liter); cool 1-1/2 hours.
• With spatula, loosen cake; remove.
• Cool on rack.
• Make chocolate filling: In large bowl, combine cream, sugar, coca, vanilla, salt; refrigerate 1 hour.
• With mixer beat until stiff; refrigerate.
• Sprinkle gelatin over 2 tbsp cold water to soften.
• Heat, stirring, over hot water to dissolve; cool.
• Prepare cake: Cut 1-inch slice crosswise from top of cake (I use a long string of dental floss to cut); set aside.
• With a sharp knife, outline a cavity in cake, leaving 1-inch thick walls around center, side and bottom.
• With spoon carefully remove cake from this area.
• Reserve 1-1/2 cups of the crumbled cake you just removed.
• Measure 2 1/2 cups chocolate filling into small bowl; fold in gelatin.
• Use to fill cavity.
• Replace top.
• Mix 1/2 cup filling with reserved crumbled cake.
• Use to fill center hole.
• Frost top and side of cake with remaining filling.
• Refrigerate until serving.