I remember when I was young eating an angel food cake for the first time. I was fascinated. This was not the usual cake that we made from the Betty Crocker box. Don't get me wrong, I liked cake, and I liked the ice cream that would accompany it, but cake and ice cream had never been the number one thing on my brain for dessert. This cake was different all together. I remember after that experience trying to find that type of cake again. I didn't know what it was called but I knew that I wanted to taste it again! My poor mother; she would try to help me find the cake, but without really knowing much about recipes or anything I was of little help to her in my search for what I thought of as the perfect cake.
Once I discovered that you could buy an angel cake at the store I was floored! So much time wasted trying to find my perfect cake!!!! BUT now I knew what it was called and I knew where to look. I didn't yet dare to try to find a recipe though; I did NOT trust myself that much at baking. For many years I would simply go to the store and pick up an angel food cake at the bakery...when it was available. I hated not finding an angel food cake when I wanted it!!! I didn't know much about baking, or cooking much for that matter. I didn't know how to follow a recipe very well. (Long story--I know a lot more about cooking now thank goodness!) BUT, I have found a wonderful angel food cake recipe that I have "tweaked" to make it gluten-free. YUM!!!! This recipe is from "Better Homes and Gardens" and it is definitely worth your time to make this lusciousness! I have also made the "Chocolate Angel Food Cake" version listed at the end too. MMMM!
Angel Food Cake – Better Homes & Gardens
Ingredients
1 1/2cups egg whites (10 to 12 large)
1 1/2cups sifted powdered sugar
1 cup sifted cake flour or sifted all-purpose flour*
1 1/2teaspoons cream of tartar
1teaspoon vanilla
1cup granulated sugar
Directions
In a very large mixing bowl allow egg whites to stand at
room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, sift powdered sugar and flour
together 3 times; set aside.
Add cream of tartar and vanilla to egg whites. Beat with
an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form (tips curl). Gradually
add granulated sugar, about 2 tablespoons at a time, beating until stiff peaks
form (tips stand straight) .
Sift about one-fourth of the flour mixture over beaten
egg whites; fold in gently. (If bowl is too full, transfer to a larger bowl.)
Repeat, folding in remaining flour mixture by fourths. Pour into an ungreased
10-inch tube pan. Gently cut through batter to remove any large air pockets.
Bake on the lowest rack in a 350 degree F oven for 40 to
45 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Immediately invert
cake (leave in pan); cool thoroughly. Loosen sides of cake from pan; remove
cake. Makes 12 servings.
From the Test Kitchen
CHOCOLATE ANGEL FOOD CAKE:
Prepare as above, except sift 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
powder with the flour-powdered sugar mixture.
HONEY ANGEL FOOD CAKE:
Prepare as above, except after beating egg whites to soft
peaks, gradually pour 1/4 cup honey in a thin stream over the egg white
mixture. Continue as above, except beat only 1/2 cup sugar into the egg whites.
My aunt Marilyn made me a doll cake for my 8th birthday. I was fascinated! I remember her making eclairs and other fun desserts too. I don't think that she bakes much anymore. My uncle died quite a few years ago and all of her children are grown up and have families of their own. Now it's just her. She still volunteers and guides tours at the capital building. She visits her children in the various places that they live, but I know that she is very lonely. She and my uncle were so close. I loved watching them joke together; you could tell that they enjoyed being with each other. Memories. I seem to be doing that a lot lately...anyway, she was a wonderful baker! I loved attending baby showers, wedding showers, or any kind of fun food activity that she was at because she always made such wonderful desserts and interesting food. I have often wondered about this because my dad, her brother, doesn't like trying anything new; in fact, my mother raised us with basic meals because of his likes and dislikes for food. Obviously this only encouraged me to try something new!!! So, if you are wondering what a "doll cake" is, I found a great recipe with a video on the Betty Crocker website. I will tell you that this is NOT a gluten-free recipe. You can use your own gluten-free cake recipe, just follow the forming and decorating directions. Obviously you could use your own favorite frosting as well.
Fairy Tale Princess Cake – Betty Crocker
Prep Time 40 MIN
Total Time 3 HR 40 MIN
Servings 30
Ingredients
2 boxes Betty Crocker™ SuperMoist™ yellow cake mix
Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix
boxes
3 containers Betty Crocker™ Whipped fluffy white frosting
Neon pink food color
1 fashion doll (11 1/2 inches tall)
Pink decorating sugar
Edible pink pearls
Heat oven to 325°F. Grease 1 1/2-quart ovenproof bowl (8
inches across top) and three 8-inch round cake pans with shortening; coat with
flour (do not use cooking spray).
In large bowl, make cake batter as directed on boxes.
(Both boxes of cake mix can be made at one time; do not make more than 2 boxes,
and do not increase beating time.) Pour 3 1/4 cups batter into 1 1/2-quart
bowl, and divide remaining batter among 3 pans (slightly less than 2 cups per
pan).
Bake cake pans 23 to 30 minutes and bowl 47 to 53 minutes
or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove
cakes from pans and bowl. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Place cakes in freezer
45 minutes before cutting to reduce crumbs. Cut off rounded tops of cakes. Cut
bowl cake in half horizontally. Cut 1 3/4-inch diameter hole in center of all 5
cake layers.
Spoon frosting into large bowl. Stir in food color until
desired pink color. Place one 8-inch cake on serving plate; spread 1/3 cup
frosting over top. Top with second 8-inch cake; spread with 1/3 cup frosting.
Repeat with third layer; top with larger bowl cake layer, cut side up. Spread
with small amount of frosting. Top with rounded bowl cake layer, cut side down.
Trim side of cake if necessary to make a tapered "skirt.
Spread thin layer of frosting over side and top of
layered cake to seal in crumbs. Freeze cake 30 to 45 minutes to set frosting.
Spread frosting over cake as desired. Wrap hair and lower
half of doll with plastic wrap. Insert doll into center of cake. Frost body of
doll. Decorate with sprinkles and candy pearls as desired. Unwrap hair. Store
cake loosely covered.
Expert Tips–
Do you need to bake cake layers in batches? Just cover
and refrigerate remaining batter in the mix
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