By Great Day Farms Brand Ambassador Heather Disarro of Heather’s Dish
Angel food cake is one of those things that’s rarely made but often enjoyed in our house. Fluffy and flavorful with basically zero calories (fine, the calorie part is false…) it’s a cake that is sure to please almost any palate. You can dress it up with whipped frosting and chocolate, dress it down with a scoop of ice cream, or meet it right in the middle, in my favorite way, with a simple creme anglaise and fresh berries.
This summer has been, from my experience and the stories from friends, a very mild one. Just the other day my husband mentioned that we’ve been lucky the past two summers in Arkansas to have relatively mild weather; I told him he better find some wood to knock on because summer isn’t over. Truly though, this summer has been filled with days outside in the warm sunshine, long walks at dusk and sweet baby tan lines. There isn’t a more summer dessert, with the exception of ice cream, than an angel food cake with fresh seasonal berries. Light and sweet and completely satisfying, this is one dessert y’all won’t want to miss!
- 12 egg whites at room temperature
- 1-1/2 cups superfine sugar
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Preheat oven to 325.
- Very lightly grease ONLY the flat part of a 16-cup tube pan. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whip the egg whites until they start to become foamy.
- Add the salt and cream of tartar, then whip until the whites start to get very fluffy.
- Increase the speed and slowly stream in 1 cup of the sugar.
- Continue to beat until the egg whites form soft peaks.
- Add the vanilla and beat until just mixed.
- Working in batches, gently fold in the remaining sugar and the flour, alternating, until all of the ingredients have been used up.
- Gently work the batter evenly into the pan.
- Gently tap the pan on the counter several times to release air bubbles.
- Bake at 325 for 55 minutes or until the cake springs back from being touched.
- Allow to cool completely upside down; some cake pans have feet to rest on, but if your pan does not then be sure to prop it up slightly on a couple of plates to allow air to circulate.
- Gently work a sharp knife around the edge of the cake pan to release once completely cooled.
- Cut with a serrated knife.
- Serve with creme anglaise (recipe below) and fresh fruit.
- 1-1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1-1/2 cups whole milk
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- Combine the heavy cream, milk and sugar in a large stockpot.
- Heat very gently over medium-low heat until small bubbles start to form around the edge of the milk.
- Remove from the heat and scoop about 1 cup of the mixture out of the stock pot.
- While whisking the egg yolks, very slowly drizzle the hot milk mixture into the yolks to temper.
- Once all of the hot milk has been whisked into the yolks, whisk the tempered yolks into the remaining hot liquid.
- Cook slowly over medium low heat until the mixture has thickened enough to thickly coat the back of a spoon.
- Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla extract.
- Gently press plastic wrap onto the top of the creme to keep a skin from forming.
- Cool completely before serving with the cake.
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Heather Disarro is a food-centric lifestyle blogger who is passionate about embracing the beauty that surrounds us with in our everyday lives. She is a Texan living the expat life in central Arkansas with her husband, son and two massive dogs. Heather writes her blog, Heather’s Dish, from an office filled with dust, dog fur, toys and plenty of love, grace and music. She specializes in creating delicious and creatively nourishing recipes. Cooking seasonally and with as many local ingredients as possible is an important component to Heather’s style of food, and she revels in the opportunity to bring the love of cooking to the world as a way to love others well!