Angel Food Cake
Angel Food Cake is one of my personal favorites. It's also a more healthy dessert than many others because the egg whites add protein. When I was young, as far as I knew, you couldn't go to the bakery and buy an Angel Food Cake. After trying this recipe, you'll never buy a store-bought one again. There's just no comparison. If you've never tried a whole wheat Angel Food Cake, you'll be pleasantly surprised. You must use the soft wheat flour. Normally I use a tube pan but my daughter, Alyse, made the angel food cake in the picture and wanted to decorate it for Valentine's Day. She didn't whip the egg whites enough and just baked it in a round cake pan. It wasn't very high but still very soft and delicious and she used just whipping cream for the frosting which went very well with it.
Recipe:
1¼ cups sifted soft whole wheat flour or cake flour (for high altitude add 2 tablespoons more flour)
1¼ cups + 3 tablespoons super fine sugar, divided (I just blend mine a bit before measuring)
1½-1¾ cups egg whites (12-14)
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon almond extract
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
Sift some flour twice, then measure, add ½ cup of the sugar; sift both together 4 times. Beat egg whites on medium high with wire whisk or hand beater. When foamy, add cream of tartar and salt mixed together and continue to beat until very soft peaks. Add flavorings and the rest of the sugar 2 tablespoons at a time, beating on medium after each addition until sugar is blended and until peaks stand up but droop on the end (do not overbeat--you want some rise left in the trapped air bubbles). Pour meringue into a large wide bowl. Sift about ⅓ of the flour/sugar over mixture; fold in lightly; repeat until all the dry flour is gone and about 15 more folds (the batter should be shiny when done). Drop batter evenly into ungreased 10-inch aluminum tube pan. Cut gently through batter to remove bubbles and carefully smooth out the top with an offset spatula. Bake on bottom rack at 375°F for 35-50 minutes, until it springs back when pressed. Turn upside down to cool.
Simple Berry Trifle:
3½ cups heavy whipping cream
8 ounces Mascarpone or cream cheese
6½ tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoons vanilla
2 pounds berries
3 tablespoons sugar (optional)
1 recipe angel food cake cut into cubes
Toppings
Prepare berries by cutting into cubes (if using strawberries). Sprinkle with 3 Tbs sugar if desired. Whip cream with sugar and vanilla until nearly stiff peaks, blend in cheese until just barely stiff peaks. Layer in the order you prefer. Top with berries or Turbinado sugar or whatever you like. ( I like to make mini ones in 10 ounce cups. Start with cake cubes, then raspberries, then mini chocolate chips, then cream, then more cake cubes, then strawberries, then cream. Top with a few blueberries and turbinado sugar). This recipe makes approximately eighteen 10 oz trifle cups.
Recipe:
1¼ cups sifted soft whole wheat flour or cake flour (for high altitude add 2 tablespoons more flour)
1¼ cups + 3 tablespoons super fine sugar, divided (I just blend mine a bit before measuring)
1½-1¾ cups egg whites (12-14)
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon almond extract
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
Sift some flour twice, then measure, add ½ cup of the sugar; sift both together 4 times. Beat egg whites on medium high with wire whisk or hand beater. When foamy, add cream of tartar and salt mixed together and continue to beat until very soft peaks. Add flavorings and the rest of the sugar 2 tablespoons at a time, beating on medium after each addition until sugar is blended and until peaks stand up but droop on the end (do not overbeat--you want some rise left in the trapped air bubbles). Pour meringue into a large wide bowl. Sift about ⅓ of the flour/sugar over mixture; fold in lightly; repeat until all the dry flour is gone and about 15 more folds (the batter should be shiny when done). Drop batter evenly into ungreased 10-inch aluminum tube pan. Cut gently through batter to remove bubbles and carefully smooth out the top with an offset spatula. Bake on bottom rack at 375°F for 35-50 minutes, until it springs back when pressed. Turn upside down to cool.
Simple Berry Trifle:
3½ cups heavy whipping cream
8 ounces Mascarpone or cream cheese
6½ tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoons vanilla
2 pounds berries
3 tablespoons sugar (optional)
1 recipe angel food cake cut into cubes
Toppings
Prepare berries by cutting into cubes (if using strawberries). Sprinkle with 3 Tbs sugar if desired. Whip cream with sugar and vanilla until nearly stiff peaks, blend in cheese until just barely stiff peaks. Layer in the order you prefer. Top with berries or Turbinado sugar or whatever you like. ( I like to make mini ones in 10 ounce cups. Start with cake cubes, then raspberries, then mini chocolate chips, then cream, then more cake cubes, then strawberries, then cream. Top with a few blueberries and turbinado sugar). This recipe makes approximately eighteen 10 oz trifle cups.
Watermelon Trifle Variation:
Add 2 tablespoons finely chopped lime zest (2-3 limes) to the whipped cream
Reduce the vanilla to 2 teaspoons
Layer with cake, small chunks of sweet watermelon and chopped lightly salted pistachios
Top with 1 teaspoon of a mixture of finely chopped fresh mint leaves, Turbinado sugar and ground pistachios (equal amounts of pistachios and sugar and a little less mint. Also, don't combine these until just before serving so the sugar stays crunchy).
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