Brown Sugar Angel Food Cake With Candied Citrus Slices

CONTEST-WINNING BROWN SUGAR ANGEL FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• Place egg whites in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Sift 1 cup brown sugar and flour together twice; set aside., Place oven rack in lowest position. Preheat oven to 350°. Add cream of tartar, vanilla and salt to egg whites; beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining brown sugar, about 2 tablespoons at a time, beating on high until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved. 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 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned and entire top appears dry. Immediately invert pan; cool completely, about 1 hour., Run a knife around side and center tube of pan. Remove cake to a serving plate., For toffee, line a 13x9-in. baking pan with foil; grease the foil with 1 teaspoon butter. Sprinkle pecans into prepared pan; set aside., In a small heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, bring brown sugar and remaining butter to a boil, stirring constantly. Cover and cook 2 minutes. Cook and stir with a clean spoon until a candy thermometer reads 300° (hard-crack stage). Immediately pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle with chips; spread with a knife when melted. Refrigerate for about 1 hour or until set., Frost cake with whipped topping. Finely chop half of the toffee; press onto cake. Serve with remaining toffee if desired. Store leftover toffee in an airtight container.

CANDIED CITRUS SLICES

Steps:

• Cut a round of parchment paper to fit just inside a medium pot; set aside. Bring sugar and 3 cups water to a simmer in pot, stirring until sugar has dissolved. When liquid is clear and bubbling, reduce heat to medium-low. Add citrus slices, arranging them in a slightly overlapping layer. Cover with the parchment paper round. Place a cake pan on top of parchment to keep slices submerged. Simmer (do not boil) until rinds are almost translucent, about 40 minutes. Let cool completely in syrup. Candied citrus slices can be stored in syrup up to 1 week.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set a wire rack over sheet. Transfer candied citrus to rack. Let stand until dry and slightly firm, about 8 hours.

CARAMELIZED ANGEL FOOD CAKE SUNDAES

Steps:

• In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, sour cream and confectioner's sugar until smooth. In another bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon until light and fluffy., Spread butter mixture over the top and sides of each cake slice. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Broil 4-6 in. from the heat for 1-2 minutes or until bubbly. Cool slightly. Serve with ice cream and sour cream mixture.

BROWN SUGAR ANGEL FOOD CAKE WITH CANDIED CITRUS SLICES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Stir together flour and 3/4 cup brown sugar. Sift twice.
• Put egg whites into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and salt. Raise speed to high, and beat until soft peaks form. Sprinkle half the remaining 3/4 cup brown sugar over egg white mixture, and beat until combined. Sprinkle the remaining brown sugar over egg white mixture, and beat until stiff, glossy peaks form.
• Transfer egg white mixture to a large bowl. Fold in flour mixture in 3 batches, folding in lemon zest with last batch.
• Spoon batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan (not nonstick) with a removable bottom. Run a knife through batter to eliminate air pockets. Bake until cake is golden and springs back when lightly touched, about 45 minutes.
• Invert pan onto its legs or over a narrow-neck bottle; let cool 1 hour. Reinvert, and run a knife around sides and tube to loosen; remove sides. Run a long knife along bottom of cake; remove from tube.
• Place cake on a serving platter. Cut a slit in rind of candied citrus slices; twist slices, and arrange around bottom of cake. Reserve 1 slice for hole in center.
• Put crème fraîche into a medium bowl. Whisk until lightened. Transfer a little more than 1/4 cup to a pastry bag fitted with a large rose tip (such as Ateco #123). Decoratively pipe crème fraîche around top edge of cake. Place 1 citrus slice over hole; pipe crème fraîche around it. Serve remaining crème fraîche on the side.
• Candied Citrus Slices
• Cut a round of parchment paper to fit just inside a medium pot; set aside. Bring sugar and 3 cups water to a simmer in pot, stirring until sugar has dissolved. When liquid is clear and bubbling, reduce heat to medium-low. Add citrus slices, arranging them in a slightly overlapping layer. Cover with the parchment paper round. Place a cake pan on top of parchment to keep slices submerged. Simmer (do not boil) until rinds are almost translucent, about 40 minutes. Let cool completely in syrup. The candied citrus slices can be stored in syrup up to 1 week.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set a wire rack over sheet. Transfer candied citrus to rack. Let stand until dry and slightly firm, about 8 hours.

BROWN SUGAR ANGEL FOOD CAKE WITH CANDIED CITRUS SLICES

Steps:

• CAKE:.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees, stir together flour and 3/4 cup brown sugar, sift twice.
• Put egg whites into a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the wisk attachement. Beat on medium speed until foamy, add cream of tarter and salt. Raise speed to high, and beat until soft peaks form. Sprinkle half the remaining 3/4 cup brown sugar over the egg white mixture, and beat until combined. Sprinkle with remailing brown sugar over egg white mixture, and beat until stif, glossy peaks form.
• Transfer egg white mixture to a large bowl. Fold in flour mixture in 3 batches, folding in the lemon zest with the last batch.
• Spoon the batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan (not nonstick) with a removable bottom. Run a knofe through the batter to eliminate air pockets. Bake until cake is golden and springs back when lightly touched about 45 minutes.
• Invert pan onto its legs or over a narrow-neck bottle. Let cool 1 hour. reinvert, and run a knife sides and tube to loosen; remove sides. Run a knofe along bottom of fo cake and remove from tube.
• Place cake on serving platter. Cut slit in rind of candied citrus slices, then twist slices and place around bottom ifcake. reserve 1 slice for hole in center.
• Put creme fraiche into a medium bowl. wisk until lightened. Transfer a little more than 1/4 cup into a pastery bag fitted with a large rose tip (such as Ateco No. 123). Decoratively pipe creme fraiche around top edge of cake. Place one citrice slice over the hole in top of the cake and pipe creme fraiche around it. serve remaining creme fraiche on the side.
• CANDIED CITRUS SLICES:.
• Cut a round of parchment paper to fit inside medium pot and set parchment paper aside.
• Bring sugar and 3 cups water to a simmer in pot, stiring until sugar has desolved. When liqued is clear and bubbling, reduce heat to medium-low heat. Add citrus slices,arranging them in a slightly overlapping layer. Cover with the parchment paper round.
• Place a cake pan on top of the parchment paper to keepslices submerged. Simmer (do not boil) until rinds are almosr translucent, about 40 minutes. Let cool completely in syrup. Candies citrus slices can be stored in syrup up to 1 week.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set a wire rack over sheet. Transfer citrus to rack. Let stand until dry and slightly firm, about 8 hours.

BROWN-SUGAR ANGEL FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat egg whites and sugar on medium speed until foamy; add cream of tartar. Increase speed to high; beat egg whites until tripled in volume, stiff, and glossy. Transfer egg white mixture to a large bowl; fold in flour in three additions.
• Spoon batter into an unbuttered 10-inch angel-food-cake pan with a removable bottom. Run a knife through batter to pop air pockets. Bake until cake is golden in color and springs back when gently pressed, about 45 minutes.
• Invert pan onto a cooling rack or the neck of a bottle and allow cake to cool, at least 1 hour. To remove cake from pan, run a knife around sides and center tube of pan. Release cake from sides, and run a long knife along the bottom of the cake, freeing it from the tube. Serve with ice cream and hot-fudge sauce.

BROWN SUGAR ANGEL FOOD CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat egg whites and sugar on medium speed until foamy; add cream of tartar. Increase speed to high; beat egg whites until tripled in volume, stiff, and glossy. Transfer egg white mixture to a large bowl; fold in flour in three additions.
• Transfer batter to a piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch round tip and pipe into ungreased mini angel food cake pans with removable bottoms. Smooth tops with an offset spatula. Run a knife through batter to pop air pockets. Bake until cakes are golden in color and spring back when gently pressed, about 25 minutes.
• Invert pans over the necks of glass bottles and allow cakes to cool, at least 1 hour. To remove cakes from pans, run a knife around sides and center tube of pans. Release cakes from sides and run a long knife along the bottom of the cakes, freeing them from the tube.
• Make the hot fudge sauce: Combine all ingredients except the vanilla in a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a full boil. Boil the mixture briskly for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, then remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
• Serve the cakes with hot fudge sauce and espresso ice cream.

TUTTI-FRUTTI ANGEL FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• Place egg whites in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes; set aside. , Add cream of tartar, extracts, salt and food coloring if desired to egg whites; beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, about 2 tablespoons at a time, beating on high until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Gradually fold in flour mixture, about 1/2 cup at a time. Fold in candied fruit., Gently spoon into an ungreased 10-in. tube pan. Cut through the batter with a knife to remove air pockets. Bake on the lowest oven rack at 375° for 35-40 minutes or until lightly browned and entire top appears dry. Immediately invert pan; cool completely, about 1 hour. , Run a knife around side and center tube of pan. Remove cake to a serving plate. ,

ANGEL FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place flour and salt in a sieve set over a bowl; sift into bowl, and set aside. With a mixer, beat egg whites on medium-high until foamy, about 1 minute. Add cream of tartar; beat until soft peaks form. Continue to beat, gradually adding sugar; beat until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Add vanilla; beat to combine.
• Gently transfer egg-white mixture to a large, wide bowl. In four batches, using the sieve again, sift flour mixture over egg-white mixture. While turning the bowl, use a rubber spatula to fold in the mixture by cutting down the center and coming up the sides.
• Gently spoon batter into an ungreased angel food cake pan with a removable bottom; smooth top. Cut a knife or small spatula through batter to release air bubbles. Bake until cake is golden and springs back when lightly pressed, 35 to 40 minutes. Invert pan; let cool in pan, 1 hour. Run a knife around the inside of the pan and around the tube to release cake, and unmold. Use knife to release cake from bottom of pan, and remove.