Email to Cat      

Christmas: Candy Cane Cake

Source of Recipe


Sunset, December 2006



List of Ingredients



• 1 cup sifted cake or pastry flour
  
• 1¾ cups sugar
  
• 12 egg whites, at room temperature
  
• 1 tsp cream of tartar
  
• ¼ tsp salt
  
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
  
• 1 tsp almond extract
  
• 8 ounces peppermint candy canes
  
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
  






Instructions



1. Preheat oven to 325° F.
   Sift together flour and ¾ cup sugar. Sift again and set aside. In a large bowl or standing mixer, beat egg whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar and salt. Beat until soft peaks form. Add ¾ cup sugar and the vanilla and almond extracts. Continue beating until egg whites are firm but not dry.
   
   
2. Sift one-third of the flour-sugar mixture onto the egg whites and, with a rubber or silicone spatula, gently fold the mixture into the egg whites. Add remaining flour in two batches, folding gently after each addition. Turn batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan and bake until browned and firm to the touch, 50 to 60 minutes.
   
   
3. Invert cake (in pan) on a cooling rack for at least an hour. When completely cool, run a long, thin, sharp knife between cake and pan to loosen, and remove cake.
   
   
4. Put candy canes in a large sealable plastic bag. Crush them into small pieces with a mallet, rolling pin, or the bottom of a small frying pan. Sift crushed candy with a fine-mesh strainer and reserve candy dust for another use. Set crushed candy aside.
   
   
5. In a large bowl, beat cream with remaining ¼ cup granulated sugar until soft peaks form. Frost cake with whipped cream, using a spatula to form swirls and peaks. Sprinkle frosted cake with crushed candy canes. (To get candy on the sides, hold your hand about 1 inch from the cake and gently toss crushed candy at the sides.) Serve immediately, using a serrated knife to cut slices.
   
   Makes 8 to 10 servings.