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Angel Food Cake with Berries

Source of Recipe

From "Back Around the Table" by David Venable


Recipe Introduction

"I have never really been a big fan of angel food cake—it's usually just too plain and a little too bland for my taste. To give it some zing I add blueberries to the batter for pops of color and a bright berry flavor in every bite. Then each slice gets a big spoonful of mixed berry sauce. Angel food cake now becomes absolutely heavenly."

List of Ingredients

Mixed Fruit:
â—¦ 1 pint blueberries
â—¦ 1 pint strawberries, hulled and quartered
â—¦ 1 pint blackberries
â—¦ ½ cup sugar
â—¦ 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Cake:
â—¦ 10 large egg whites, at room temperature
â—¦ 1 ¼ teaspoons cream of tartar
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon table salt
â—¦ ¾ cup superfine sugar
â—¦ 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
â—¦ 1 teaspoon lemon zest
â—¦ 1 cup cake flour
â—¦ 1 ½ cups fresh blueberries
â—¦ Light frozen whipped topping, thawed



Recipe

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

To make the fruit, gently mix the blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, sugar, and vanilla in a bowl. Let the fruit sit for 3 to 4 hours at room temperature.

To make the cake, put the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Start blending the egg whites on low. As they begin to thicken, increase the speed to medium and continue whipping until soft peaks form. Add the superfine sugar, vanilla, and lemon zest and continue to whip until stiff peaks form. The egg whites should be shiny, but not dry.

Sift the flour over the egg whites. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in just until blended. Add the blueberries and fold in just until blended. Spoon the batter into an ungreased 10-inch angel food tube cake pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the pan to a wire rack. Turn the pan upside down, but do not remove the cake. Let cool for one hour. Using a dinner knife, loosen the sides of the cake from the pan. Invert the cake onto a plate. Serve each slice of cake with ½ cup berry mixture and a dollop of whipped topping.

Makes 8 to 10 servings