Espresso Chiffon Cake with Fudge Frosting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottoms of three 8- or 9-inch round cake pans with rounds of parchment or waxed paper, but do not grease.

In a medium bowl, combine the oil, egg yolks, espresso, and vanilla; whisk lightly to blend.

In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, 1 cup of sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

In a large mixer bowl, whip the egg whites with the cream of tartar on medium-low speed until frothy. Gradually add the remaining half cup of sugar and continue to beat until soft peaks form.

Add the espresso-egg yolk mixture to the dry ingredients and fold together just enough to combine. Add one-fourth of the beaten egg whites and fold them in to lighten the batter. Fold in the remainder of the whites just until no streaks remain. Divide the batter among the prepared pans.

Bake the cakes for about 18 minutes each, or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely in the pans. When cooled, run a blunt knife around the edge of the pans to release the cakes. Invert onto wire racks and remove the paper liners.

To assemble the cake, place one layer, flat side up, on a cake stand or serving plate. Soak the cake with 1/3 cup of the espresso syrup. Spread about 1 1/3 cups of the instant fudge frosting evenly over the top. Repeat with the next layer, more syrup, and more frosting. Finally, top with the third layer. Soak it with the remaining syrup and frost the top and sides with the remaining frosting.

For the espresso syrup, in a bowl, stir together the espresso and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Add the rum and let cool to room temperature.

For the fudge frosting, place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse to incorporate, then process until smooth.