Vanilla Bean Angel Food Cake
by Mimi & Vera Levin, Tastemakers in Residence
Who doesn’t love a delectable dessert after the grills are powered down? One of our favorites is vanilla bean angel food cake from Health Magazine. You can really knock it out of the park by making your own whipped cream, too. You will be thanking us after you try this light and fresh dessert:
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
1 (2-inch) piece vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 cup sifted cake flour (about 4 ounces)
12 large egg whites
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°.
- Place 3/4 cup sugar in a small bowl. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean, and add seeds to sugar; discard bean. Work the vanilla seeds into sugar with fingers until well combined.
- Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and sugar mixture, stirring with a whisk to combine.
- Beat egg whites with a mixer at high speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and salt; beat until soft peaks form. Add remaining 3/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Beat in juice. Sift flour mixture over egg white mixture, 1/4 cup at a time; fold in after each addition.
- Spoon the batter into an un-greased 10-inch tube pan, spreading evenly. Break air pockets by cutting through batter with a knife. Bake at 325° for 50 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Invert pan; cool completely. Loosen cake from sides of pan using a narrow metal spatula. Invert cake onto plate.