Recipe: Cannoli Angel Food Cake

CANNOLI ANGEL FOOD CAKE

"We'll let you in on a little secret: The lowest-maintenance layer cake is not made in round cake pans, but actually on a rimmed baking sheet. Instead of trimming and stacking rounds, you just slice the rectangular cake into two smaller rectangles and place one on top of the other, easy-peasy. Here, we're making that cake a light and spongy angel food so that it can withstand (and take in!) all of the flavors of the silky, cannoli-inspired frosting. And once you taste it-rich from ricotta and flavored with orange zest and pistachios-you'll understand why (and you'll want to eat it with a spoon). To hit the point home, the cake is covered in mini chocolate chips (a crucial cannoli detail!), then topped just before serving with crumbled sugar cones to remind you of that crispy-as-all-get out pastry shell."



FOR THE CAKE:
Nonstick cooking spray
1 1/2 cups cake flour, plus more for dusting
2 cups egg whites
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
FOR THE FROSTING:
1 1/3 cups ricotta cheese (12 ounces), at room temperature
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
1/2 cup finely chopped pistachios
1/2 cup mini bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup coarsely crushed sugar ice cream cones

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat an 18 by 13-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray, line the bottom with parchment paper, and coat the parchment with cooking spray. Dust the pan with flour to coat completely and tap out any excess.

TO MAKE THE CAKE:
Combine the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt in a large bowl. Using a handheld mixer, beat on medium-high speed until the egg whites are foamy and start to form soft peaks, about 6 minutes. With the mixer running, slowly pour or spoon in the granulated sugar and cinnamon. Add the vanilla and beat until the whites are glossy, smooth, and form stiff peaks, about 8 minutes.

Sift the cake flour through a fine-mesh strainer over the whites then use a large rubber spatula to fold the flour completely into the whites, until no dry patches remain. Scrape the batter into the prepared baking sheet and smooth the top with the rubber spatula.

Bake until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool completely on the pan, about 1 hour.

TO MAKE THE FROSTING:
In a food processor, combine the ricotta, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and orange zest and process until super smooth.

TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE:
Carefully invert the cake onto a cutting board and remove the parchment paper. Cut the cake in half crosswise and flip each half over so it's right-side up again. Spread half the frosting evenly over one cake half, sprinkle with the pistachios, then stack the other cake half on top. Spread the remaining frosting over the top of the cake all the way to the edges. Sprinkle the top with the chocolate chips. Refrigerate the cake until the frosting is firm, 1 to 2 hours.

TO SERVE:
Let the cake sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Before serving, sprinkle the top of the cake with the crushed sugar cones, then slice to serve.

Makes 12 servings
Used by permission to Recipelink.com from Clarkson Potter
Source: Tasty Dessert: All the Sweet You Can Eat (An Official Tasty Cookbook) by Tasty