• Category: Desserts
• Friday, 20 February 2009 17:08

 

 

 After making creme brulee I had lots of egg whites and angel food cake is the perfect way to use them. Add chocolate and you have a wonderful treat! 

 

 

 

 

The first thing I did was get out a sheet of waxed paper and my fine mesh strainer. I don't happen to own a sifter and this works great for sifting.

 

 

 

 

 

Over the wax paper sift the flour in the strainer. I don't normally sift flour, but I figure I better with angel food cake. I don't normally make cake either. What does that say about me? I guess I am just going wild, trying new things!

 

 

 

 

 

Then I sifted the cocoa powder on top of the flour. All of the dry cake ingredients will probably be sifted four times before we are through here.

 

 

Sift 3/4 cup of powdered sugar next.

 

 

I had to take a picture of this mound of sugar. It looks like a mountain or a sand dune.

 

 

Then add 1/2 teaspoon of salt ot the pile of sifted ingredients. No, sorry, I didn't sift the salt....

 

 

Have at the ready a big mixing bowl with the strainer set on the edge.

 

 

Pick up the paper carefully and pour the sifted ingredients into the strainer for further sifting...

 

 

 

Sift all of the sifted ingredients into the big bowl. Make sure that you have sifted properly. We wouldn't want any unsifted particles in there...

 

 

 

Now that all of that sifting is done, get out your stand mixer bowl and wire mixing attachment. Make sure that both are clean and have no oil on them. From what I have read about beating egg whites, if there is any oil they will have a hard time whipping up.

 

 

 

Pour the egg whites into the bowl.

 

 

Get out your ancient container of Cream of Tartar. Add 1 teaspoon to the egg whites. Also add the vanilla and almond extract.

 

 

 

Add two tablespoons of water and get ready to whip these eggs into shape.

 

 

At first they will begin to get a little foamy. Keep mixing on medium speed.

 

 

 

 After whipping the egg whites for a few minutes they should look like tiny bubbles.

 

 

 

Sift in the last 3/4 cup of powdered sugar over the top of the foamy egg whites.

 

 

Set the mixer to medium speed and whip the egg whites just until peaks can be formed. Don't over beat them too stiff. The peaks should still fall over, not stand up.

 

 

 

Take about 1/4 of a cup of the sifted flour/cocoa mixture and sift over the egg whites.

 

 

Gently fold the flour into the egg whites. Don't stir or beat, just fold. Angel food cake relies on the air that has been beaten into the egg whites to make it so light and fluffy. Fold in the flour so that the egg whites don't loose too much of the air. Obviously some will escape.

 

 

Keep sifting the flour mixture into the egg whites and keep folding them in. When you can't see any more traces of flour, you are done.

 

 

Get out a tube pan to pour the angel food cake batter into. I have been lugging this cake pan all over the country. I think I have used it twice. Maybe...

 

 

 

 

Start pouring in the batter, turning the pan as you go. Do not grease your pan.

 

 

After all of the batter is in the pan it may need to be leveled. Just tilt the pan around a little and it will settle. Place the cake into a 350 degree oven and bake for 35 minutes.

 

 

 

After the cake has baked it will need to cool upside down.

 

 

The easiest way to cool a cake in a tube pan is to stick it on top of a bottle. I only had this bottle of cooking wine. I hope the cake doesn't mind...

 

 

Have you ever wanted to know what a cake looks like upside down? Well, now is your chance! Except in this cake, you are looking at the bottom...

 

 

I like to use my frosting spreader to loosen the sides of the cake. Anything flexible and thin will work...

 

 

Along came a cute little cake helper! She was very excited and ready to help me get this cake out of the pan...

 

 

Look at her concentrate? She is really willing that cake to come out of the pan. I had a bit of trouble, but finally it made its way out into the world.

 

 

 

By itself it is not a very impressive cake.

 

 

No, I don't think that cupcake in the center is going to help....

 

 

You could frost the cake with chocolate frosting...

 

 

That seems to work for this little girl. Yes, chocolate frosting on angel food cake is one way to serve it.

 

 

 

Or you could get out a dessert cup.

 

 

 

Cut up a piece of angel food cake into cubes...

 

 

Put a little bit of vanilla pudding into the bottom of the dessert cup....

 

 

 

Drop in some of the cake cubes.

 

 

A little more pudding on top of the cake bites.

 

 

 

And some more angel food cake...

 

 

And last but not least, a dollop of whipped cream on top. I wonder if this is a good way to use angel food cake. Let's see if we can find some one to try it...

 

 

Here is a willing customer now. I think he really like it. He loves vanilla pudding and whipped cream...Not to mention chocolate cake.

 

 

Yes, I think using the angel food cake in dessert cups is the way to go. What about you? How do you like to use angel food cake?

 

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