Lemon Berry Angel Food Shortcake

Lemon Berry Angel Food Shortcake

Recipes that call for only egg yolks or egg whites stress me out. Everything food has to be used in this house so those leftover egg yolks or whites with a short window of opportunity to use, are always on my mind until they are put to good use. Egg yolks are used in homemade flavored mayos, hollandaise sauce, aioli or very often, custard to serve with lots of different desserts.

Egg whites will many times make it into an egg white omelet for breakfast or lunch but when I have a considerable number of them, they inevitably seem in end up in a homemade angel food cake. One thing I have noticed during the summer months especially is that I tend to gravitate toward making a lemon angel food cake which goes particularly well with practically any fresh fruit or berries and some simple vanilla whipped cream.

The form of the cake becomes dependent on the occasion at which we are serving it. It can be baked in a 10 inch spring form pan and topped with the cream and berries in a very uncomplicated presentation. When baked in a tube pan, I sometimes crush fresh berries (or use jam) to swirl through the cream, then fill the center and top of the cake with that combination.

In the version I've pictured here, I baked the cake in two 9x13 pans and cut the cake out in circles with a large biscuit cutter to construct these very pretty little desserts which we served after a Sunday BBQ as a light and delicious end to a delicious relaxed meal with family. For so little effort it sure does make a beautiful dessert.

Angel Food Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of a 9 or 10 inch spring form pan with parchment paper but do not grease the sides or bottom. A tube pan can also be used or if cutting circles for the pictured presentation, line the bottom of  two 9x13 pans with parchment paper.

Sift together twice:

• 1 1/3 cups icing sugar (powdered sugar)
• 2/3 cup all purpose flour
• 2/3 cup cake flour

Beat to soft peaks:

• 12 egg whites at room temperature
• small pinch salt
• 3 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Gradually add, a couple of tablespoons at a time:

• 1 cup sugar

Sift the dry ingredients over the beaten egg whites in four equal portions, folding very gently after each addition. A light touch is what is important here. Fold as gently as possible and only until the dry ingredients are just incorporated. When folding in the final portion of dry ingredients add:

• finely minced zest of one large or two small lemons

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes or until the cake springs back to the touch at the center.

Angel-food cake needs to be cooled in the pan upside down, so invert the pan onto a wire rack until completely cool. This step is important so that the cake does not fall after baking. A tube

When completely cooled, run a sharp knife around the outer edge (release the pan lock if using a spring form pan and run a thin knife around the inside post if using a tube pan) and gently shake the cake out of the pan onto a serving plate.  Remove the parchment paper.

Vanilla Whipped Cream

• 2 cups whipping cream
• 4 tbsp icing sugar (powdered sugar)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Whip all together until stiff peaks form. Serve with the cake along with aproximately

• 2 cups fresh berries or diced fresh fruit