No homemade recipes for angel food cake. We buy box mix, usually generic because they are the only ones that haven't gone to the cheap, unsatisfying "single step" packages (as if opening a second bag of ingredients and sprinkling it in the bowl really was complicated - no, they didn't do it to make baking angel food cake easier). We specificaly look for the mixes that have a bag A and a bag B, a cake/flour mix and egg white mix because they make a big, substantial fluffy angel food cake that can stand up to slicing, decorating, cutting up into a fruity dessert extravaganza...
Mostly we dress the results up in a simple, thick, fluffy layer of boiled frosting. Boiled frosting done perfectly is just a tiny bit crunchy on the outside, softer that a moist marshmallow fluff beneath. Depending on cooking times, weather (humidity) and other factors, it can be a frosting that dries nearly into candy in a couple of days uncovered or remains soft and moist enough to make covering the cake with plastic wrap impossible, so have a plate with a generous cake cover handy, but don't expect there to be any cake to cover if the family is around.
Bake and cool angel food cake in the pan (usually by putting the angel food pan over a wine bottle and letting it hang upside down. If a large bowl has been used, as for doll cakes, invert the pan over a rack and cool at least one hour.
To remove cooled cake from pan, press a knife between the pan and the cake (including around the inner tube of the angel food pan). For bowl, use a spatula to free the bottom and le cake drop onto the plat that will be used for cutting and serving. For an angel food pan, slide off the outer side section onto the plate that will be used for serving, run the knife around the bottom to free cake from bottom section of pan with inner tube. Brush away resulting crumbs from sides and top of cake with finger or food brush.
Do not prepare boiled frosting in advance.
Boiled Frosting,
aka 6-minute or 7-minute frosting
Prep time about fifteen minutes
2 unbeaten egg whites
1 1/2 c. sugar
5 T. water (4 on very humid days)
2 t light corn syrup
1 t vanilla extract (do not substitute almond extract or other flavorings with any oils)
Bring the water in the bottom of a double boiler to boiling. Mix egg whites, sugar, water, and corn syrup in top of double boiler (or in a larger stainless steal or aluminum pan that will eventually be set on a smaller pan filled with boiling water. Beat with electric mixer until sugar is dissolved. Place over boiling water and cook, beating constantlyt with miser for about 6 minutes (sometimes significantly longer) until mixture is stiff enough to stand in peaks (You'll see this stage approaching when "waves" in the mixture become clear and distinct as the mixer is moved around the pan. Stop and lift beaters to test but do not remove from heat until done). Add vanill, extract, and beat about 2 minutes until thick enough to spread.
Immediately spread thickly on cake. To spread efficiently, pile frosting on top of cake and use broad knife to gently push down the sides and into the center of the angel food hole. Decorate by gently tapping the surface with the flat of the knife to make curls, sprinkle with colored sugar, or gently press candy decorations into the surface of the frosting.
Frosting will harden on the bowl and utensils but dissolves easily in hot water.
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