Paul and I were entertaining last night and I wanted something new to make for dessert. Had I been smart I would have just popped into a bakery and picked something up. Those of you who know me know that when it comes to food smart doesn't play a big role - obsessed, yes! Smart, not so much . . .
Anyway. There I was, on the hottest, most humid day of the year so far, baking a cake.
See what I mean . . . smart was not even on the radar screen.
Anyway.
The cake we selected was an angel food cake from Cooking Light magazine. I figured it would be a wonderful way to use up some of the containers of frozen egg whites in the freezer that I had as a by-product from all of the ice cream making this year. Given that every batch of ice cream generally uses 5 - 6 egg yolks there were lots of egg whites on ice!
I had never made an angel food cake before. I was amazed at how easy it was. Yet again I was left wondering why I hadn't attempted this before.
The web site declared:
Angel food cake, appropriately named, is a godsend when it comes to big family gatherings. Everyone likes it, almost no one is allergic to it, and it provides a light, sweet ending to what is too often a sloth-inducing meal. Fresh blueberries color the cake purple, and a citrusy glaze gives it a festive feeling.
Hmmmm. Sloth-like? Apparently they had seen our menu!
This cake was fabulous! It came together just like the recipe directions said it would. I did find that it took a bit longer to bake than 40 min (about 50 min or so). It cooled perfectly and tasted awesome! I really appreciated the mix of blueberry and lemon - one of my all-time favourite flavour combinations. If you want a low fat yet full-flavor dessert, this is it.
Blueberry Lemon Angel Food Cake
Cake:
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
1 cup sifted cake flour
12 large egg whites (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 1/4 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
2 tablespoons sifted cake flour
1 tablespoon grated lemon rindGlaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juicePreheat oven to 375°.
Sift together 1/2 cup sugar and 1 cup flour.
In a large bowl, beat egg whites with a mixer at high speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and salt; beat until soft peaks form. Add 1 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating until stiff peaks form.
Sift flour mixture over egg white mixture, 1/4 cup at a time; fold in. Fold in vanilla and blueberries.
Combine 2 tablespoons flour and lemon rind; toss to coat. Sprinkle over egg white mixture; fold in.
Spoon the batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan, spreading evenly. Break air pockets by cutting through batter with a knife. Bake at 375° for 40 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Invert pan; cool completely. Loosen the cake from sides of pan using a narrow metal spatula. Invert cake onto plate.
To prepare the glaze, combine powdered sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl; stir well with a whisk. Drizzle over cooled cake.
That sounds really, really good! Can you freeze egg yolks, or would I have to make a bunch of ice cream too?
Posted by: Chris | August 17, 2009 at 08:14 AM
What a great idea for those egg whites! It looks really yummy!
Now, could I have a piece of it?
Posted by: nancyhol | August 17, 2009 at 11:24 PM
That cake is BEAUTIFUL! I can't bring myself to turning on the oven on a hot day OMG but since the cake came out so well I'm sure it was worth it.
Posted by: Barb Cabot | August 17, 2009 at 11:35 PM
They sure do Chris! mind you, making a tub of ice cream isn't the worst thing in the world to do. Or egg nog! LOL
Nancy - if only you weren't so far away . . . I'm at a meeting this week and Paul is enjoying the leftovers.
Barb - it was horrid hot and humid here. I baked it at 5 am when it was 'cool'. I do admit that I far prefer baking in the winter. LOL
Posted by: JDeQ | August 18, 2009 at 06:07 AM
Jerry, I like your idea of baking at 5 a.m.! It's remarkably hot and humid here as well, and of course I've invited a crowd for dinner Saturday night.
I'm going to move my window air-conditioner into the dining room for the occasion, but I might think about baking really really early and give the shack a chance to cool down before evening!
Posted by: sandrac | August 18, 2009 at 04:55 PM
Sandra - since you bought your new pottery you have become an entertaining guru! your friends are lucky.
Posted by: JDeQ | August 19, 2009 at 06:19 AM