Angel Food Cake

Happy New Year! It's a tradition for our family to start off the New Year with Angel Food Cake. Made without oil, butter or egg yolks, it's resolution-friendly in my books.

Appropriately named, angel food cake achieves it's fluffy and light texture from gently folding the flour into the meringue. In turn, the greatest challenge is making sure that you don't get any fats such as egg yolks or any oils while whipping up the egg whites. The best part of a freshly baked Angel food cake is arguably the crisp crust that contrasts with the white and fluffy interior. 


This cake is fantastic when paired with berries. I like to dress it up with some whipped cream or every now and then a surprise swirl of chocolate flavoring inside of the cake.
You can find the 2nd version mimicking saeng-cream cake along with the recipe below!


Chocolate and Vanilla Angel Food Cake
Modified from http://www.salad-in-a-jar.com/family-recipes/chocolate-and-vanilla-angel-food-cake-with-dipped-cone-icing

Ingredients
Cake:
1 cup cake flour
1-1/2 cup sugar
12 eggs
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 Tbs Dutch chocolate, sifted

Directions
Cake:

1.) Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Put ¾ cup sugar in food processor and grind up for about 1 minute to reach a powdered sugar consistency
2. Sift together 1 cup cake flour and 3/4 cup sugar (the food processed portion).
3.) Separate 12 egg whites and egg yolks. *note- eggs separate best when cold and whip up best at room temperature. Set egg whites aside and let come to room temperature.
4.) Take the other ¾ cup sugar and grind up in food processor for one minute.
5.) Measure out 1 teaspoon cream of tartar and ¼ teaspoon salt
6.) Using stand mixer and wire attachment, begin mixing egg whites and 1 teaspoon cream of tartar on low for one minute. The egg whites should look foamy with large bubbles.
7.) Add ¼ teaspoon salt. Increase speed to medium-high (setting 3 or 4 on stand mixer) and mix until egg whites are thick and billowy.
8.) With mixer running, gradually pourin the remaining 3/4 cup of sugar (from step 4) in from the side–slowly. Continue beating egg whites until glossy and soft peaks gently tip over when you pull the wire beater up.
9.) Add 2 teaspoons lemon juice and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and turn the mixer on for a couple of seconds to incorporate.
10.) Gradually add in the sifted flour/ sugar mixture from step 2. Use your largest rubber spatula to delicately and carefully fold sifted flour and sugar into whipped egg whites. I add only about 1/4 cup of the flour and sugar mixture at a time. Slice with spatula perpendicular to whites down to bottom of bowl and turn spatula slightly to pull up batter from the bottom and lay over the top. Turn bowl and repeat slice with spatula until flour and egg whites are just mixed. Be careful to mix gently so that the egg whites will not deflate.

11. To simply make lemon angel food cake- gently spoon cake batter into ungreased bundt pan.
Bake for 50-55 minutes. ** to prevent the top from burning, place a sheet of aluminum foil over the cake 20 minutes into baking. *** Besides this step, avoid opening the oven door as this will disrupt the rising process of the cake.
12.) When done, remove cake from oven and turn the pan over to let cool for several hours. Loosen cake from pan by running serrated knife around the sides of the pan.

**To add a chocolate layer follow here:
11.) Pour slightly more than half of cake batter into an ungreased** bundt pan.
12.) Use a spoon to draw a trough around the middle. Carefully fold 3 tablespoons sifted cocoa into remaining batter until completely mixed. Fill trough with the chocolate batter and then smooth over the top.
13.) Bake for 50-55 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately turn over to cool for several hours. (I recommend overnight.) Use a firm hand and a skinny knife to loosen cake from edges of pan and invert cake onto cake plate.
14.) Decorate with a layer of whipped cream or serve with fresh fruits!








Whipped Cream

3 cups  heavy cream

3 Tb powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Chill mixing bowl and beaters for at least 15 minutes before using.
2.  Beat heavy cream and gradually add in the 3 Tb powdered sugar until soft peaks.
3. Keep whipped cream chilled or serve immediately.