Angel Food Cake With Mountain Dew Glaze

VANILLA BEAN ANGEL FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• Place egg whites in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes., Preheat oven to 325°. In a small bowl, mix flour and 3/4 cup sugar until blended., Add seeds from vanilla bean (or extract if using), cream of tartar and salt to egg whites. Beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 3/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high after each addition until sugar is dissolved. Continue beating until soft glossy peaks form. Gradually fold in flour mixture, about 1/2 cup at a time., Gently transfer batter to an ungreased 10-in. tube pan. Cut through batter with a knife to remove air pockets. Bake on lowest oven rack until top springs back when lightly touched, 45-55 minutes. Immediately invert pan; cool completely in pan, about 1-1/2 hours. , Run a knife around sides and center tube of pan. Remove cake to a serving plate., For glaze, in a small bowl, mix confectioners' sugar, seeds from vanilla bean (or extract if using) and enough milk to reach desired consistency. Spread glaze over cake, allowing some to drip down sides.

ANGEL FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• Adjust the oven rack to the lower middle position and preheat oven to 325°F (163°C).
• In a food processor or blender, pulse the sugar until fine and powdery. Remove 1 cup and set aside to use in step 3; keep the rest inside the food processor. Add the cake flour and salt to the food processor. Pulse 5-10 times until sugar/flour/salt mixture is aerated and light.
• In a large bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip egg whites and cream of tartar together on medium-low until foamy, about 1 minute. Switch to medium-high and slowly add the 1 cup of sugar you set aside. Whip until soft peaks form, about 5-6 minutes. See photo and video above for a visual. Add the vanilla extract, then beat just until incorporated.
• In 3 additions, slowly sift the flour mixture into the egg white mixture using a fine mesh strainer, gently folding with a rubber spatula after each addition. To avoid deflating or a dense cake, don't add the flour mixture all at once. Sift and very slowly fold in several additions. This is important! Pour and spread batter into an ungreased 9 or 10 inch tube pan. Shimmy the pan on the counter to smooth down the surface.
• Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 40-45 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through baking. The cake will rise up very tall while baking. Remove from the oven, then cool the cake completely upside-down set on a wire rack, about 3 hours. (Upside-down so the bottom of the tube pan is right-side up, see photo and video above.) Once cooled, run a thin knife around the edges and gently tap the pan on the counter until the cake releases.
• If desired, dust with confectioners' sugar. Slice the cake with a sharp serrated knife. Regular knives can easily squish the cake. Serve with whipped cream and fresh berries.
• Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

LEMON-GLAZED LEMON ANGEL FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325.
• Beat egg whites until frothy; add salt, cream of tartar and lemon oil and vanilla extract. Continue beating until they form stiff but not dry peaks. Using a rubber spatula, gradually fold in the sugar a few tablespoons at a time.
• Using the same rubber spatula, gradually fold in the flour, one quarter at a time. Be sure that you use a true folding motion, gently turning the spatula from the bottom of the bowl to the top, folding in air with each stroke as opposed to beating or stirring. You just went to all that work the whip up the egg whites, don't want to beat them to death.
• Pour batter into an ungreased, 9-inch angel food cake pan (you know the one with the tube in the center, not a bundt pan).
• Bake one hour or until top is golden brown and the cake pulls away from pan sides.
• Remove cake from oven . Cool in the pan ten minutes and then invert pan and let cake stand upside down for an hour or until cooled.
• You might let the cake stand over a plate in case your oven was funky and the cake plops out of the pan prematurely. Hey, it happens.
• While cake is cooling prepare the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together confectioners sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest. Let stand ten minutes before glazing the cake as it thickens a little. Serve immediately.

BEST ANGEL FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• Place egg whites in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Sift 1/2 cup sugar and flour together twice; set aside. , Place oven rack in the lowest position. Preheat oven to 350°. Add cream of tartar, extracts and salt to egg whites; beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining sugar, about 2 tablespoons at a time, beating on high until stiff peaks form. Gradually fold in flour mixture, about 1/2 cup at a time., Gently spoon into an ungreased 10-in. tube pan. Cut through batter with a knife to remove air pockets. Bake until lightly browned and entire top appears dry, 35-40 minutes. Immediately invert pan; cool completely, about 1 hour. , Run a knife around side and center tube of pan. Remove cake to a serving plate.

MOUNTAIN DEW CAKE

Steps:

• 1. Lightly grease and flour bundt pan. Preheat oven at 325 In large bowl combine cake mix and pudding. Add mountain dew,oil,and eggs. Beat at medium until smooth.
• 2. Pour batter into prepared pan, and bake for 45-50 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and glaze.
• 3. For icing...melt butter, remove from heat and add 1/4 c. mountain dew, and enough powder sugar to make a thin icing.