Triple Layer Tropical 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.

TRIPLE LAYER TROPICAL ANGEL FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix flour and powdered sugar and set aside. Beat egg whites and cream of tarter in a large mixer bowl. Beat on medium speed until foamy. Increase beating to high speed and add 2 Tablespoons at a time of the granulated sugar, beat until stiff and glossy (approx 8-10 minutes with KitchenAide). When adding the last of the sugar, also add the salt and vanilla. Do not underbeat. **Eggs - usually 8-12, varying on sizes - also place the whites into a bowl and set aside for approx 15-20 min so they warm up a bit Sprinkle in the flour-sugar mixture 1/4 cup at a time, over the meringue and folding in only until the flour-sugar mixture disappears. Place the batter gently into an ungreased tube pan. Gently cut through the batter with a butter knife to take out air holes. Place in oven and bake approx. 30-35 minutes until crack feels dry and top springs back when touched lightly. Invert pan upside down onto a glass bottle. Let hang until cake is cold. Make the filling while the cake is cooling (recipe is at the bottom of this page). Once the cake is cool, gently separate the cake from the pan using butter knife. Place the cake upside down on a serving plate. Using a serrated knife horizontally cut (just like sawing wood) across the cake to make 3 layers. You can use toothpicks as a guide around the cake to help you cut straight. Spoon one-third of the tropical filling and spread it evenly across the cake layer. Repeat for all 3 layers. Decorate the top layer with blueberries if desired. Using a serrated knife, slice and serve. Tropical Filling directions: Using a mixer, beat the cream cheese until creamy. Add pineapple juice and mix until combined. Slowly stir in the pineapple and coconut, then the cool-whip. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in fridge while you cut the cool cake. Options for the Cake: - Replace 1 t. of vanilla with pineapple juice - Omit coconut or reduce the amount used - Omit cutting of the cake, leave it whole and serve a scoop of the tropical filling with each slice - Omit food color or select a different color (I did pink for my daughter's first birthday) Options for Tropical Filling: - Add 1 c. fresh other berries, sliced thin if needed - Reduce coconut to 1/4 c. and toast the coconut before adding (toasting the coconut adds even more taste) - Use whipped cream in place of Cool-Whip - Try to add a small amount of finely chopped and toasted nuts, omit berries Healthy and yummy!

ANGEL FRUIT TRIFLE

Steps:

• Pour the blueberries into a strainer, rinse with water, and shake off excess water. Spread the berries out onto paper towels to dry slightly.
• In a deep, clear glass bowl or trifle bowl, spread a layer of angel food cake chunks. Scatter the cake with chopped strawberries in a thin layer. Sprinkle the strawberries with a layer of blueberries, followed by a layer of chopped peach slices. Sprinkle a few fresh raspberries over the peaches. Dollop a layer of whipped topping, then repeat layers until all cake and fruit has been used. Finish trifle with a layer of whipped topping. Cover the trifle, and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.

ANGEL FOOD CAKE AND BERRY TRIFLE

Steps:

• Add the berries to a bowl along with the sugar and orange juice. Let sit at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes, until juicy.
• Meanwhile, add the yogurt and honey to a bowl. Stir with a spoon to mix in the honey and smooth out so the mixture will be more spreadable.
• Cut the angel food cake into large chunks using a serrated knife, and add about one-third of the cake to the bottom of a medium trifle dish. Add a layer of the syrupy berries and then a layer of yogurt, reserving a few spoonfuls of yogurt for the end. Repeat the layers until you have no more remaining ingredients. Finish the top with the few spoonfuls of yogurt in the center and the fresh, whole strawberries.
• Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour and up to overnight.

TRIPLE ORANGE ANGEL FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Move a rack to the bottom position.
• Drain the mandarin oranges and reserve the liquid. Measure the reserved liquid and add enough water to equal 1 1/4 cups. Measure out 1 cup mandarin oranges, reserving the remaining oranges for garnish.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine angel food cake mix, mandarin water, orange extract and orange zest. With an electric mixer, beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl and beat on medium for 1 minute. Pour into angel food tube pan. Carefully place 1 cup of orange segments around top of cake batter. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until top of cake is cracked, dark golden brown, and not sticky.
• Remove cake from oven and invert onto glass bottle to cool.
• Frost cake with whipped topping and garnish with reserved orange segments.
• Cook's Note: Excessive stirring will cause whipped topping to become watery.

ANGEL FOOD CAKE WITH TROPICAL FRUIT COMPOTE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Sift the flour together with 1/2 cup of the sugar and set aside.
• Put the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer. Be SURE that the bowl is clean and dry, any fat in the bowl can prevent the egg whites from whipping up fluffy fluffy fluffy! Add the salt and the cream of tartar to the egg whites. Beat the egg whites on a medium-high speed until they reach soft peaks, about 5 minutes.
• While the mixer is running, gradually add the remaining sugar. DO NOT plop the sugar in all at once or it will push the air out of the whites that we are trying to beat in. Add in the vanilla and zests and then stop the mixer. Add 1/3 of the flour/sugar mixture and fold gently fold, do this quickly but gently. Repeat the process 2 more times until all of the flour/sugar mixture is incorporated.
• Transfer the cake batter into an ungreased tube pan. Bang the cake pan on the counter a couple of times to release any air bubbles trapped in the cake batter.
• Bake the cake on a sheet tray in the preheated oven until it is light and springy, about 1 1/4 hours. Cool the cake for at least 1 hour before unmolding. Serve with the tropical fruit compote.
• For the compote: In a food processor or blender, puree the coarsely chopped mango and 1/2 cup orange juice. If this mixture needs a little more sweetness, add in the 2 teaspoons of sugar and puree for another 10 seconds or until the sugar has dissolved.
• Combine all of the fruit and remaining orange juice and let the mixture sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Serve slices of the cake drizzled with the mango puree and sprinkled generously with the fruit compote. Garnish with mint and serve.
• Wow! How tropical-fruity and the cake is light as air!