lime scented angel food cake

with berries and cream

I’ve baked since I was a little girl and angel food cake was the first cake I ever made. I remember my mom telling me it was a really hard cake to try, but it turned out! As long as you follow the simple instructions and keep everything ( the pan, the mixing bowl) grease free it’s not a hard cake to master. Quick and relatively healthy, this is a good one to have in your repertoire, and the perfect option if you have leftover egg whites from making ice creams or custards.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup cake flour ( I like Swan’s Down brand, if available)

1½ cups sugar, divided in half

¼ teaspoon salt

1½ cups egg whites ( from about 12 eggs) use only fresh egg whites that you separate, not packaged whites

1½ teaspoons cream of tartar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

zest of 1 lime

To serve:

assorted berries or other fruit

whipped cream

EQUIPMENT

measuring cups and spoons

food processor (optional)

stand mixer or hand mixer

sifter

zester

spatula

angel food cake pan with removable bottom

chopstick or knife to run through the cake

Time: 1 1/2 hours

Servings:12

TO MAKE:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Do not use the convection setting.

Make sure your angel food cake/tube cake pan with removable bottom is completely clean and grease free. You do not grease the pan for angel food cake.

If using a food processor , combine 1 cup cake flour, 3/4 cup sugar and process for about 30 seconds. Sift.

If not using a food processor, sift the cake flour and sugar 5 times.

Using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or hand mixer, whip the egg whites and salt until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and vanilla and whip at medium speed. Add the remaining 3/4 cup sugar , 1 tablespoon and a time. Beat the mixture at medium high speed until it is stiff, glossy and reaches firm peaks.

Sift the flour mixture over the egg whites in 3 parts, gently folding in after each addition. Fold in the lime zest.

Gently spread the mixture into the pan. Run a butter knife through the batter to break up air bubbles. Smooth the top with a spatula.

Bake for 35- 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, and cool in the pan, upside- down for an hour.

Carefully run a knife around the edge of the cake and release it from the serving pan onto a platter.

Use a serrated knife to slice the cake. Serve slices of the cake with berries or other fruit and whipped cream at room temperature.

It is best the day it is made, but older cake can be toasted in butter.