Pink Or Green Marbled Angel Food Cake

MAPLE ANGEL FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or using a hand mixer), whip the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and salt and continue whipping until soft peaks form. With the mixer running, gradually add 1 cup of the granulated sugar and continue whipping until stiff and the sugar has dissolved, about 30 seconds more.
• Sift the remaining 1/4-cup of granulated sugar with the sifted cake flour 3 times, to aerate the mixture. Fold into the egg whites, then fold in the vanilla and maple syrup.
• Spoon the batter into an ungreased proper angel food pan or 6 miniature ones. Smooth the top with the back of the spoon. Bake until light golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool by hanging the cake (in the pan) upside down around the neck of a bottle until it cools to room temperature. Run a long, sharp knife blade around the cake to loosen, then knock the cake out onto a plate.
• Glaze: Stir the ingredients together until smooth. Pour over the top of the cake and spread with a spatula, letting the glaze trickle down the sides. Let set for at least 30 minutes before serving, or until the icing is hard. Cut with a serrated knife, using a sawing motion.

PINK OR GREEN MARBLED ANGEL-FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• Prepare batter as directed on package by adding 1-1/4 cups water or the amount specified on package. You may make the angel food cake from scratch, if desired.
• Transfer about 1/3 of the batter into a small bowl; fold in the package of strawberry or lime jello.
• Alternately spoon batters into ungreased 10-inch tube pan.
• Zigzag spatula through batters to marble.
• Bake as directed. Cool cake by inverting over a funnel. Remove from pan.
• Meanwhile, prepare Fluffy Frosting: Dissolve a package of strawberry or lime jello in the boiling water. Chill until slightly thickened; blend in the Cool Whip.
• Frost cake. Garnish with strawberries or lime slices, if desired.

PEPPERMINT ANGEL FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• For the Cake: Place the 12 egg whites in a very large mixing bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Sift confectioners' sugar and flour together 3 times.
• Beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium to high speed until soft peaks form (tips curl).
• Gradually add 1 cup 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. Repeat sifting and folding in the remaining flour mixture three more times, using one-fourth of the flour mixture each time.
• Divide batter in half.
• Fold extract and food coloring into one half.
• Alternately spoon pink and white batters into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan.
• Gently cut through batter with a knife, swirling gently.
• Bake cake on the lowest rack in the preheated 350 degree oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched.
• Immediately invert the cake in the pan, standing the tube pan on its legs or resting the center tube over a tall-necked bottle. Cool thoroughly.
• Remove cake from pan.
• Frost with Pink Peppermint Frosting when cake has cooled thoroughly.
• Serve at room temperature.
• Store any leftover cake in refrigerator.
• For the Pink Peppermint Frosting: Place the 2 egg whites in a bowl.
• Let stand 30 minutes.
• In a 2-quart saucepan mix the 2/3 cup granulated sugar, corn syrup, and water. Cook and stir until mixture comes to a boil. Boil gently, without stirring, for 5 minutes.
• Beat egg whites using an electric mixer at medium to high speed until soft peaks form (tip curl).
• Slowly add hot syrup to egg whites, pouring in a steady stream, while beating.
• Continue beating until stiff glossy peaks form (tips stand straight).
• Beat in 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract and enough red food coloring to tint frosting pink.

PRETTY-IN-PINK ANGEL FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Use a fine-mesh sieve to sift together flour and 3/4 cup superfine sugar 4 times.
• In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat together egg whites, water, food coloring, and 3/4 cup sugar on medium speed until foamy. Add salt, cream of tartar, and 2 teaspoons vanilla; whisk until meringue is stiff but not dry.
• Transfer meringue to a large bowl. In six additions, sift flour mixture on top, folding in quickly but gently.
• Transfer batter to an ungreased 10-inch tube pan with removable bottom. Smooth top with an offset spatula. Run a knife through batter to release air bubbles. Bake until golden brown and springy to the touch, 35 to 40 minutes.
• Invert pan on its legs or over the neck of a glass bottle, and let cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, combine the berries, lemon juice, and remaining 1/4 cup superfine sugar in a small nonreactive bowl. Set aside to macerate while the cake is cooling, about 1 hour. In a separate bowl, stir together the sour cream, confectioners' sugar, and remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla.
• Carefully run a long offset spatula or knife around the inner and outer perimeter of the pan to release cake. Invert onto serving platter. Serve with macerated berries and sweetened sour cream.

ANGEL CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Butter a 25 x 20cm baking tin, and line the base with baking parchment. Stack a sheet of baking parchment over a sheet of foil, then fold in half so the parchment is facing out. Use this to divide the tin into three sections crosswise, each about 8cm wide.
• Melt the butter, remove from the heat and set aside. Put the sugar and eggs in a large heatproof bowl over a pan of just simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Beat using an electric whisk until really thick and pale, about 4-5 mins.
• Add a fifth of the mixture to the melted butter and mix to combine. Pour the butter mixture into the egg mixture, and carefully fold in along with the flour. Divide the mixture between three bowls. Leave one bowl of batter plain, then fold a drop each of pink food colouring and raspberry extract into the second bowl, and a drop each of yellow food colouring and lemon extract into the third bowl.
• Carefully pour one of the batters into each of the three sections in the prepared tin. Bake for 12-15 mins until cooked through, or a skewer inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean. Leave to cool slightly in the tin, then carefully transfer the three cakes to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
• To make the buttercream, beat the butter, sugar, vanilla and milk together for 5 mins with an electric whisk until pale and creamy. To assemble the cake, put the plain sponge on a board and spread with half the buttercream. Top with the raspberry sponge, then spread with the remaining buttercream and top with the lemon sponge. Trim the sides so they're straight, even and neat.
• To make the fondant icing, sift the sugar into a bowl and mix with 1½-3 tbsp water until you have a thick, droppable icing. Transfer a quarter of the icing to a second bowl, and mix in a drop of pink food colouring. Transfer the pink icing to a piping bag.
• Spread the plain fondant icing over the top of the lemon sponge, making sure it doesn't drip down the sides. Pipe thin lines of pink icing on top across the width of the cake, space apart. Drag a cocktail stick through the lines lengthways to create a marbled effect. Leave to set slightly, then slice the cake into six even rectangles.