Monday 26 October 2009

ICCHFC - Week 11: Angel food cake


This week was my week to bake and I chose an international theme i.e. three cakes from around the world. The ICCHFC played it safe and ignored my German prinzregententorte and my Japanese oyatsu cake (I was going to make a castella cake) and plumped for an American angel cake.

In the end it turned out to be quite complicated. I had to go to a pharmacy to get some liquid glucose, I had to convert crazy US cup measurements to proper metric and I had 15 egg yolks left over!

Nevertheless everyone was pretty impressed come elevenses on Monday, I don't think they realised want an archetypal experience they'd let themselves in for. Overall the cake was good but the icing was so sweet you could only have a tiny slice unless you are Marianne, or an American!

Angel food cake

Ingredients:
232g caster sugar (white)
161g plain flour
1/4 tsp salt
12 egg whites (2 cups)
1tsp cream or tartar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsps grated rind of lemon
Icing:
750g caster sugar (white)
3 egg whites
1tsp vanilla extract
1tbsp liquid glucose

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 190°C. Line bottom of three 8" round cake tins.
2. Sift the flour, salt, lemon rind and half the sugar (116g) into a bowl and set aside.
3. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar at high speed with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. 4. Add the vanilla and lemon juice and whisk to combine.
5. Gradually fold in flour/sugar mixture, 1/3 cup at a time, folding just until blended after each addition.
6. Spoon batter into prepared tins. (Tins will be very full. The batter will reach almost to the top.)
7. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until a skewer inserted in centre of cake comes out clean.
8. Invert cake onto a lightly greased wire rack; let cool, with pan over cake, 1 hour or until completely cool.
9. Combine the sugar and liquid glucose in a pan and add 180ml water. Bring to the boil until it becomes a thick clear syrup.
10. Beat the egg whites until stiff and pour in the syrup whilst beating until the mixture reaches stiff peaks. [If the mixture won't stiffen, put the bowl over a simmering pan of water and whisk until it does stiffen].
11. Beat in the vanilla and allow to cool slightly.
12. Assemble the cake with two layers of icing. Ice the rest of the cake. [Note: a mug of hot water is useful to dip the application tool in]

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