Angel Food Cake with Fresh Cream and Berries
With every bite this moist and airy angel food cake is pure delight. A timeless spring treat, it offers the perfect balance of flavor and texture, making it an ideal base for showcasing sun-ripened berries served up with fresh whipped cream.
Angel Food Cake with Fresh Cream and Berries
Serves 12
Ingredients for the Cake:
12 egg whites, room temperature
1-1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 cup sugar
1 cup cake flour, sifted
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
Ingredients for the Fresh Whipped Cream:
1 pint whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Ingredients for the Macerated Berries:
2 pints fresh strawberries, halved
1 pint fresh blackberries
1 pint fresh blueberries
1 bunch fresh mint, julienned
1/4 cup sugar
Directions:
1. Using a stand mixer, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until very stiff peaks form.
2. While beating, slowly add the sugar tothe egg whites one tablespoon at a time, until all the sugar has been incorporated.
3. In a separate bowl, set together the cake flour, powdered sugar and salt.
4. Working in three rounds, gently fold in the sifted dry ingredients, vanilla extract, and almond extract into the whipped egg whites until incorporated. Be sure not to overtax.
5. Carefully spoon the mixture into an ungreased 10” tube cake pan, and bake at 375 F for 35-40 minutes or until the surface has turned golden brown and the cake springs back when lightly touched. TIP: Use a spatula to smooth out the mixture, and wipe up any big drips of cake batter from the sides.
6. Once the cake has baked, invert it on a wine bottle, or if your cake pan has legs, simply place on the counter upside-down. This helps the cake to stay fluffy and not compress as it cools.
7. Remove the cooled cake from the pan by sliding a knife along the outside edge and the center tube. Invert the cake on a cake plate and remove the outer pan. Then, cut along the bottom piece of the pan to fully release.
8. Meanwhile, prepare the macerated berries. Wash, hull, and halve the strawberries, and wash the other berries. Wash the mint leaves and cut into julienned pieces. Mix the prepared berries, mint, and sugar together. Let the berries sit for at least 20 minutes, or until they begin to glisten and release their juices.
9. Using a stand mixer, prepare the whipped cream. Whip the cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract together until very stiff peaks form.
10. Serve the cake with the fresh cream in the center, and the berries on top!