Fireworks Angel Food Cake

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.

FIREWORKS BUNDT CAKE

Steps:

• Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan, making sure to get in all the crevices; dust with flour and tap out the excess. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
• Beat the butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then beat in the sour cream and vanilla. (The batter may look curdled.) Reduce the mixer speed to medium low and add the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the buttermilk; beat until combined.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool 15 minutes in the pan; loosen the edge of the cake with a knife and invert onto the rack to cool completely.
• Make the glaze: Whisk the confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, vanilla and 1 tablespoon water in a bowl; add a splash more water if the glaze is too thick. Spoon over the cake, letting it drip down the sides. Decorate with nonpareils. Let stand until set, 5 to 10 minutes. Put rock candy sticks in the center of the cake.

ANGEL FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• Place egg whites in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Sift confectioners' sugar and flour together twice; set aside. , Add the cream of tartar, extracts and salt to egg whites; beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add granulated 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 the batter with a knife to remove air pockets. Bake on the lowest oven rack at 350° 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.

FIREWORKS ANGEL FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Sift all the flour and 3/4 cup of the sugar into a large bowl using a fine mesh strainer. Sift another 2 times. Set aside.
• Combine the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment fitted. Beat on medium until soft peaks form when the whisk is lifted up.
• Turn the stand mixer back on at a medium speed. Gradually stream in the remaining 1 cup of sugar into the egg whites as they're being whisked. Once it's all been added, let the mixer run on high speed until stiff peaks form when the whisk is lifted up. Add the almond extract and vanilla extract and beat in until just combined.
• Take 1/3 of this beaten egg white mixture and add to the bowl of the flour and sugar. Mix together to combine. Add this to the bowl of remaining beaten egg whites and fold together gently with a spatula until just combined, being careful not to knock too much air out of the egg whites while doing this. Finally, fold in the rainbow sprinkles with a few strokes - don't overmix or the sprinkles will start to bleed into the batter and discolour it.
• Spoon the batter into an ungreased, 10-inch diameter tube pan. Smooth out into an even layer.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden, the top of the cake should spring back when gently pressed with a fingertip. Invert the cake onto a wire rack and leave in its pan to cool completely, about 2 hours.
• Once cooled, use a metal spatula or butter knife to loosen the cake from the edges of the pan. Tip out onto a wire rack.
• Make the candy melt fireworks:.
• Tip the different coloured candy melts into separate, heatproof bowls. Set each one over a pan filled with 1 inch of simmering water on the stove. Let melt, stirring occasionally, until they're fully melted and smooth.
• Divide the colours into individual piping bags fitted with small round tips.
• Pipe firework shapes of different colours, sizes and shapes onto a piece of parchment paper. Set aside to cool and set.
• Make the frosting:.
• Place the cold heavy cream into a large bowl and beat with a whisk or electric beaters until it starts to thicken. Add the powdered sugar and briefly stir inches
• Take 4 small bowls and add 1/4 cup of the whipped cream to each bowl. Add pink food colouring to one bowl, green to another, purple to another and yellow to the last small bowl. Stir through so you have one small bowl of each of the colours. Divide these into 4 separate piping bags fitted with a small round tip.
• To the remaining whipped cream in the large bowl, add the blue food colouring and stir through.
• It's important not to over-stir the cream or it will start to separate. If it starts to look grainy you can pour a little un-whipped heavy cream into the bowl and gently stir that in which should help bring it back from separation.
• Frost the cake:.
• Cover the cooled cake with the blue frosting, using an offset spatula to spread it over the top, sides and inner hole in a smooth layer.
• Take your other colours of whipped cream frosting and pipe fireworks all over the top and sides of the cake.
• Insert the candy melt fireworks you made earlier into the top of the cake.
• Serve immediately or keep chilled, covered for up to 2 days.