Angel Food Cake with Fresh Lemon Curd
10 large egg whites, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 3/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour, sifted
1 recipe lemon curd
1 recipe boiled icing
1 recipe sweetened berries
Preheat the oven to 375�F. Using an electric mixer beat the egg whites on medium
speed with the cream of tartar and the salt until soft peaks form, about 2
minutes. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat until stiff peaks form, about 2
minutes. Add the flour and beat for 2 minutes, scrapping down the sides of the
bowl as needed. Pour the batter into an engrossed angel food cake pan. Bake
until golden brown and springy when touches, 30 to 35 minutes. (The top of the
cake may crack a little.) Remove the pan from the oven and turn it upside down
over the neck of a bottle. Let cool completely.
Remove the cake from the pan slice horizontally into three layers. Place the
bottom layer on a serving plate. Spoon half of the curd over the cake. Lay the
middle layer on top of the curd. Repeat with the remaining curd and top with the
last layer of cake. Set aside. Ice the entire cake with the Boiled Icing. At
this point you can eat as is, or lightly brown the boiled icing, carefully with
a creme burl torch. Slice the cake into individual slices and place on serving
plates. Spoon some of the berries over the cake.
BOILED ICING
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
3 egg whites, at room temperature
pinch of salt
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
In a saucepan, over medium heat, combine the sugar and water. Bring to a boil
and cook for 3 minutes. Bring the sugar to 240�F. **If crystals appear on the
side of a the pan, take a damp pastry brush and brush the sides down. Meanwhile,
combine the whites, salt and tartar in the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted
with wire whip. Beat on low speed until soft peaks form. Increase the speed to
medium-high and beat until stiff peaks form. In a steady stream, add the sugar
syrup to the whites and continue whipping until the icing is spreadable. Whip in
the vanilla. Yields: about 2 1/2 cups
FRESH LEMON CURD
4 to 6 medium fresh lemons
6 large egg yolks
1 1/4 cups sugar
6 tablespoons butter, cold
Zest all of the lemons and set aside. Juice the zested lemons and strain the
juice, you should get about 3/4 cups of juice. In a small mixing bowl, whisk the
eggs and yolks until smooth. Stir in the lemon juice. Pour the mixture into a
nonreactive saucepan. Over medium heat, bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to
low and continue to cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the
mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and pour
into a glass bowl. Stir in the butter, one tablespoon at a time. Cool to room
temperature Yields: about 2 1/2 cups
MARINATED BERRIES
2 pints assorted berries, rinsed and hulled, such as strawberries, raspberries,
blueberries and blackberries 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup chiffonade of fresh mint
Combine in a mixing bowl and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1
hour. Just before serving, stir in the mint. Yields: about 2 cups |