Fireworks Angel Food Cake

CELEBRATION ANGEL FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• Sift flour with 3/4 cups sugar 4 times; set aside.
• With a hand-held electric mixer at high speed, beat egg whites with salt and cream of tartar until soft peaks are formed. Gradually beat in remaining 1 cup sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time.
• Beat well after each addition; continue to beat until stiff peaks form when beaters are raised out of mixture.
• With a rubber spatula, gently fold almond extract and vanilla into the beaten egg whites.
• Sprinkle about a quarter of the flour mixture evenly over the egg whites; fold in gently with a spatula, about 15 strokes. Repeat until all of the flour mixture and fold in the sprinkles with about 10 to 12 more strokes.
• Preheat oven to 375°F
• Gently spoon batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan. Cut through batter in pan with a narrow spatula or knife. With rubber spatula, spread batter to smooth the top and make sure batter is spread to touch the sides of the pan.
• Bake on a lower oven rack for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cake springs back when lightly touched with fingertip. Invert pan to cool completely, about 2 hours. Use a narrow spatula or knife to gently loosen cake from sides and center of the tube pan. Gently, grasping the center tube, lift cake out of pan. Use a narrow spatula or knife to loosen the cake from the bottom. Remove the cake from tube section and frost with a fluffy white frosting or serve with sweetened strawberries or other fruit.

FANTASTIC FIREWORKS CAKE (4TH OF JULY CAKE)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans or see Tip #1 below.
• Prepare the cake mix batter according to package directions.
• Pour 1 cup batter into each prepared pan. Drop 5 to 7 drops each of the red and blue food coloring randomly on batter. (I found the larger the drop pools, the better the effect. In other words, don't skimp or there will not be enough gel effect when cutting the cake.) Swirl the coloring with a wooden skewer. Divide the remaining batter evenly between the pans, spooning batter gently on top of swirled colors. Drop 5 to 7 drops each of red and blue food coloring randomly on the batter again; swirl coloring with a wooden skewer.
• Bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans and place on wire racks to cool completely.
• Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread the top with about 3/4 cup frosting. Top with the second cake layer. Spread the side and top of the cake with the remaining frosting. Draw several sets of concentric circles on top and side of cake with the red and blue decorating gels. Drag a wooden skewer through the circles to feather the colors and make bursting fireworks designs.
• Two Tips To Remove Cake From Pans:.
• Tip 1. An easier method is to outline 2 pieces of wax paper cut to the size of the bottom of the cake pan. Place wax paper on bottom and pour batter over. When inverting after baking, immediately peel off wax paper and dispose.
• Tip 2. Let each cake layer cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing; the cake will release steam and begin to pull away from the pan edge.
• Check to see if the cake will come out easily by placing one hand on top of the cake and carefully inverting the pan. If the cake layer doesn't release, run a knife around the edge of the cake to help loosen. Place your hand on the top and carefully invert the pan again. Remove the cake and carefully place on a rack to cool completely.

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.

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.

RED VELVET FIREWORKS CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush two 9-inch-round cake pans with vegetable oil; dust with flour and tap out the excess.
• Make the cake: Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Combine the granulated sugar, vegetable oil, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl; whisk until smooth. Whisk in the food coloring, then add the flour mixture and whisk until smooth.
• Spread 3/4 cup batter in each of the prepared pans (you'll have a very thin layer of batter); set the remaining batter aside. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean and the top springs back when pressed, 16 to 18 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool about 5 minutes in the pans, then invert the cakes onto the rack to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, cool the pans under cold water, then wipe clean. Brush with oil and dust with flour again. Repeat to make 2 more cake layers, using 3/4 cup batter for each, then repeat again. You will have 6 layers.
• Make the frosting: Beat the cream cheese, butter and salt in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until fluffy. Beat in the vanilla, then beat in the confectioners' sugar in three additions until smooth.
• Put 1 cake layer on a serving plate and spread evenly with a scant 1 cup frosting. Repeat with the remaining 5 cake layers, then frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting in a thin layer (just enough so the nonpareils will stick). Refrigerate until the frosting is just set but still soft, about 10 minutes.
• Put the cake (on the plate) on a rimmed baking sheet. Cover the top and sides completely with the nonpareils, reusing the ones that fall onto the baking sheet.

THE BEST ANGEL FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Whisk the sugar, cream of tartar and salt together in a medium bowl.
• Add the egg whites and 2 tablespoons water to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment. Beat on low speed until the whites are foamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and slowly sprinkle in the sugar mixture (this should take about 3 minutes). Watching closely, continue beating until medium-soft peaks form, 5 to 7 minutes longer. (You want the mixture to droop when lifted out of the bowl. If the peaks stand straight up, you have taken it too far and the cake will sink during baking). Add the vanilla and mix until just combined.
• Remove the mixing bowl from the stand and working in three additions, very gently fold the flour into the egg whites until just incorporated. Spoon the batter into an ungreased 10-inch footed angel food cake pan and smooth the top.
• Bake until the top is golden and springs back when touched and a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and place the cake upside-down on a wire rack to cool completely in the pan, about 3 hours.
• Run a knife or a small offset spatula around the edges of the pan and gently tap it on the counter until it releases from the pan. Use a sharp serrated knife to slice the cake -- a regular knife will smash it. Serve with berries and whipped cream.