(Editor’s note: Pssst! Andrea Charrion and Doni Greenberg will take to the radio airwaves Sunday, Sept. 4, on KCNR 1460 a.m. from 11 a.m. until noon.
Do you have a cooking question for Andrea? Do you miss her Marathon Bars? Lines will be open and live, just for you. Hear you then.)
Angel food cake is the perfect accompaniment to all of the amazing fruits we are so lucky enough to enjoy. Fairly simple to make, and most importantly the list of ingredients is short and sweet. Serve with mixed berries, peaches, or any combination that strikes your fancy. A dollop of fresh whipped cream will turn your dessert into a favorite treat for your family and friends!
Enjoy!
Angel Food Cake
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 cup cake flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 egg whites
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon lemon or orange zest
Sift sugar two times, set aside.
Sift flour with salt two times, set aside.
Using an electric mixer, beat whites with lemon juice until foamy. Add cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Slowly add sugar whipping until whites become glossy and peaks are soft. Add citrus peel and vanilla along with about 1/4 of the flour mixture. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold flour mixture into the whites. Do this step quickly and efficiently so that the air developed in the whites does not decrease.
Repeat this step 3 more times.
Pour batter into ungreased 10″ angel food cake pan. Bake until golden brown, about 45-50 minutes. Immediately after taking your beautiful cake out of the oven invert the pan. Some angel food cake pans have ‘feet’ while others have a longer tube in the center, if this is the type you have simply invert the center of the pan into the neck of a bottle.
Completely cool the cake. Remove cake form pan and transfer to cake platter. Serve with fresh fruit and whipped cream.
Simple, fresh, and amazing!
Enjoy.
Andrea Charroin was a trained baker and pastry chef in San Francisco before she and her family moved to Redding 11 years ago. After falling in love with Redding’s downtown, Andrea and husband Westley opened a little pastry shop, Rene-Joule Patisserie, across from the Cascade Theatre. For the three years Rene-Joule was in business, it was renowned for making everything from scratch, using the best ingredients and keeping with a seasonal menu. To this day, Andrea is asked about her Marathon Bars, Orange Twists and sourdough bread.
Copyright 2009 Andrea R. Charroin. Visit her blog at bakerslove.typepad.com
A News Cafe, founded in Shasta County by Redding, CA journalist Doni Greenberg, is the place for people craving local Northern California news, commentary, food, arts and entertainment.