Recipe: Brown Sugar Angel Food Cake

These recipes are for Linda B. who wanted my Auntie M's recipes (which are not to be had). The first 2 recipes are copied directly from MS' cookbook; the 3rd is from my old (and favorite) cookbook. I hope these are close to what you are seeking. The edible flower additions look lovely; however, unsprayed flowers are available from some specialty groceries in sealed containers.
If you choose to crystallize your flowers, you might as well purchase some powdered egg white. I've forgotten the formula (it's in Betsy's Archive), but it's a bit of powder to a bit of water. Anyway, either paint the egg-white mixture onto the flowers with a small watercolor paintbrush, then dust with superfine sugar or dunk the flower in the liquid (this is the sloppy method), let it drip for a bit, then dust with sugar. (Crystallizing is a bit of a bore so far as being creative; however, the finished product is well worth the effort. A word of caution: if it's hot, hot, hot, this project is going to be messy, messy, messy. Store the finished flowers on paper towelling in the frig for later use. (I think I've covered everything!)
Brown Sugar Angel Food Cake
Martha Stewart's Menus for Entertaining
Serves 10
Made with sifted brown sugar instead of white, angel food cake takes on a very appealing character and taste.
1-1/4 cup sifted cake flour, non-self-rising
1-1/2 cups light brown sugar, sifted
14 large egg whites, at room temperature
1-1/2 tsps. cream of tartar
2 tsps. lemon zest
Whipped Cream Filling (follows)
Whole blackberries
Fresh edible flowers, such as pansies and naturtiums
Blackberry Sauce (follows)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine the cake flour with 1/4 cup of the sugar. Sift the mixture twice and reserve.
In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with a whisk or an electric mixer at medium speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar. Increase speed to high and beat the egg whites until thick and tripled in volume. Sprinkle half the remaining sugar over the egg whites and continue beating until the sugar is incorporated. Repeat this step with the remaining sugar and continue beating until the egg whites are stiff and glossy.
Fold in the cake flour and sugar mixture in three additions. With the last addition, add the lemon zest.
Spoon the cake batter into an unbuttered 10-inch angel food cake pan with a removable bottom. Run a knife through the batter to break any air bubbles. Bake for 45 minutes, until the cake is golden in color and springs back when gently pressed with your fingertip.
Invert the pan on a cooling rack and allow the cake to cool completely, at least 1 hour. To remove the cake from the pan, run a knife around the sides and the center tube of the pan. Release the cake from the sides, and run a long knife along the bottom of the cake, freeing it from the tube.
Carefully cut the cake in half horizontally and spread a layer of the whipped cream filling, about 1 cup, on the bottom half of the cake. Arrange whole blackberries in the filling and replace the top half of the cake and decorate with clean, edible fresh flowers. Serve with the blackberry sauce.
Whipped Cream Filling
Makes 3 Cups
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 Tbsps confectioners' sugar
Chill a large metal mixing bowl and your beaters. Using the mixer at high speed, whip the cream with the vanilla and sugar until stiff peaks form.
Blackberry Sauce
Makes 2 Cups
3 pints blackberries
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsps creme de cassis or blackberry liqueur
5 Tbsps sugar
In a large saucepan combine all the ingredients and cook over low heat, stirring often, until the sugar is dissolved and the sauce begins to thicken, about 20 minutes.
Put through a fine sieve, pressing on the pulp. Discard the seeds.
Lemon Angel Food Cake
Martha Stewart's Menus for Entertaining
Serves 10
The tart taste of lemon curd contrasts nicely with the sweet cake.
1-1/4 cups sifted cake flour, non-self-rising
1-1/2 cups superfine sugar
14 large egg whites, at room temperature
1-1/2 tsps. cream of tartar
2 Tbsps lemon zest
Butterless Lemon Curd (follows)
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Fresh edible flowers, for garnish
Follow the recipe for Brown Sugar Angel Food Cake, substituting superfine sugar for the brown sugar and increasing the amount of lemon zest.
After you cut the cake in half horizontally, hollow out the center of its bottom half. Fill with lemon curd and replace the top half. Dust the cake with confectioners' sugar and decorate with clean, edible flowers.
Butterless Lemon Curd
Makes 2 Cups
8 egg yolks
1/4 cup superfine sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsps fresh lemon juice
1-1/2 tsps. grated lemon zest
Whisk the ingredients in a steel or heat-proof bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of water that is very lightly simmering, whisking the mixture constantly until it is thick, fluffy and pale yellow in color. Do not overheat or the yolks will curdle. Allow it to cool completely, about 30 to 35 minutes, before assembling the cake.
Jiffy Sponge Cake
America Cooks
Makes 10-Inch Ring
4 eggs, separated
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 tsps. cold water
1/2 cup hot water
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1-2/3 cups sifted cake flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
Favorite frosting
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Beat egg whites, set aside.
3. Beat egg yolks until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in sugar (on high speed with electric beater). Beat in cold water, hot water and vanilla.
4. Sift together flour, salt and baking powder; fold into egg yolk mixture; fold in egg whites.
5. Turn batter into 10-inch tube pan; bake in preheated oven for about 40 minutes.
6. Invert pan onto wire rack to cool; remove from pan; frost with favorite frosting.
Good luck and have a lovely weekend!