One of my favorite desserts…and I do like desserts…if you haven’t noticed…is Lemon Filled Angel Food Cake. Now the name is not pretentious it’s just a down-to-earth description of the recipe. But…don’t let that stop you from trying this recipe. It is the most delectable…mouth-watering dessert that you could ever hope to taste!
It’s a little long but everything is fairly easy…and there are a few substitutions you could take if you were in a hurry I suppose…but I always make it from scratch!
The things you will need to have on hand are an Angel Food Cake pan…just a plain tube cake pan with straight sides and a removable bottom, Cream of Tarter, which you can find in the spice section of the supermarket and cake flour.
There are four separate recipes and all can be made in advance…
Angel Food Cake
Lemon Curd
Lemon Filling
Whipped Cream Frosting
*************************************************
Let’s start with the Lemon Curd…
I usually make the Lemon Curd at least a day or two ahead of time. It will keep in the refrigerator for at least two weeks. I use the yolks from the egg whites I need for my Angel Food Cake. So you can separate the eggs and just store your whites in the refrigerator if you are using them in a couple of days or if it will be longer…freeze them. Egg Whites freeze very well…I’m always making puddings or recipes that only calls for the yolk…but I never throw away the white…I keep a jar in the freezer of frozen egg whites and just add to it when I have some to freeze. Set it out of the freezer for a few hours before using to thaw.
Separate your eggs…in case you are new to this or have never done it before…don’t hesitate…this is what to do…
You will need two large 4 cup measuring cups or bowls and one small bowl. Gently crack your egg and half it as evenly as you can…hold it over your small bowl. Pour the yolk back and forth from one half of the eggshell to the other half letting the white drain into the small bowl.
When you have drained all the white out of the eggshell pour the yolk into one of the larger cups/bowls. Then pour the white from the small bowl into the remaining large cup/bowl. You need to do this in case the yolk is broken…the whites will not whip well if you have any yolk mixed in…if you have a cracked yolk…just discard that egg. If you use a small bowl…you won’t risk ruining a whole bowl of whites…it will only be that one.
Combine your yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and sugar into a heavy pan. Whisk to mix well and cook over medium heat stirring constantly. I like to use a spatula so that I can scrape the bottom and sides of the pan. Cook until the mixture is thick and coats the spatula…about 5-7 minutes.
Remove the saucepan from heat and add the butter a tablespoon at a time whisking until each is melted.
Transfer mixture to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Press plastic wrap to the surface to prevent skin from forming on the top. Cool and then chill in refrigerator until firm.
*************************************************
And now the Angel Food Cake….but a few basics first…
Angel Food Cake is exactly like its name…soft, airy, light, and puffy! It is a simple cake to bake…actually a one bowl cake. The only tricks are not over-beating the egg whites and folding in the dry ingredients. If you are a “stickler” for details you can use cake flour…I usually don’t have it on hand and I have good luck with regular flour as long as it is sifted. Make sure your egg whites are at room temperature before beating.
Sift your powdered sugar and flour before measuring. I usually do this on a piece of wax paper…then measure into a bowl. Add the salt and sift all together.
Beat your egg whites in a mixer on high until they are frothy. Add the granulated sugar, cream of tarter, and vanilla and continue to beat until they form soft droopy peaks.
Remove bowl from mixer.
Sprinkle about ¼ of the flour mixture over egg whites and gently fold the flour into the egg whites by lowering your spatula to the bottom of the bowl on the far side of the bowl and gently bringing the spatula towards you across the bottom of the bowl and lifting it up through the whites and folding the mixture over and repeating until you don’t see the dry ingredients.
Repeat in fourths with the rest of the dry ingredients.
Gently scrape the batter into your cake pan and place the pan in your oven at 350º for 40-45 minutes or when a toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean.
Remove the pan from the oven and invert the pan. Most Angel Food cake pans are designed with little feet or an elongated tube to turn them over and stand them up after cooking. If your cake pan does not… turn it over a wine bottle or some other type of bottle with a long neck. Let the cake cool completely.
The cake will pull away from the edges of the pan and you can take a knife to loosen it further. It will fall out of the pan onto a rack or plate. If you are not using the cake until later…cover in plastic wrap.
*************************************************
The Lemon Filling
Soften your cream cheese to room temperature. Place in mixer bowl. Mix until very creamy and all lumps are smooth. Add the Eagle Brand milk and mix well. Add about two thirds of the Lemon Curd and mix well. Refrigerate until well chilled and thick.
*************************************************
Lemon Frosting
Whip the cream until thick and stiff peaks form. Add remaining Lemon Curd and 1/2 cup of Lemon Filling. Mix well and refrigerate until well chilled and firm.
*************************************************
Now…to put this cake together…
Put your Angel Food Cake top down on cake plate.
Take a serrated knife and slice the bottom ( which is now the top) off the cake about 2 inches thick.
Very gently lift from cake and lay aside on a rack or plate.
Take your serrated knife and cut about around edges of cake leaving about ¾ of an inch around the side and middle of the cake. Using your fingers gently pull out clumps of the middle of the cake. They should be about 1 inch in diameter. This is all very forgiving…you don’t have to be real accurate. Just make sure to leave enough thickness around the edges and on the bottom to hold the filling.
Right now…you are thinking…I have made the biggest mess of this cake…it’s completely torn apart. But don’t worry…we are about to fix it…
Take the clumps and add them to the Lemon Filling…the one with the cream cheese…not the whipped cream. Fold the cake clumps into the mixture until well coated. Spoon the filling into the hollowed out cake.
Mound it up a little at the top and then gently set the top of the cake that you sliced off on the top.
See I told you…it’s beginning to look OK….
Now cover lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate the entire cake for several hours or overnight.
Before serving frost the cake with the Lemon Frosting. You might have to take a spatula and stir the frosting until it’s spreadable. Refrigerate your cake …unwrapped…for another couple of hours to allow the frosting to chill and set on the cake.
Then you can garnish with lemon peel…or fresh mint…or like I did…I have a little rose bush blooming with the cutest little roses…and I don’t use spray of any kind on them…or you can use any kind of edible flower.
Now take my word….by all means…don’t you dare taste the Lemon Curd, Lemon Filling, or Lemon Frosting before using…or you might find yourself having to make more for the cake. If you are lucky you will have a little of the Lemon Filling left to taste after filling the cake.
Should you have any cake leftover…it keeps in the refrigerator very well for several days…but it won’t last that long!
Give this a try…I know it seems long…but it’s really very simple…especially if you take it one part at a time. Make it over a couple of days…everything has to be chilled for several hours. I wanted to give you detailed instructions and show you how everything looks in each step. You won’t be sorry…
Hope you enjoy it…
Leah
*************************************************
The Recipe
LEMON FILLED-ANGEL FOOD CAKE
Lemon Curd
12 egg yolks
1 ½ cup sugar
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
zest from 6-8 lemons
2 sticks butter
Combine egg yolks, sugar, ¾ cup lemon juice (reserve ¼ cup for later), and lemon zest (reserve 1-2 tablespoons zest for Lemon Frosting later) in medium sized heavy saucepan. Whisk together until well mixed.
Cook over medium heat stirring with a spatula and whisking until thickened. The mixture will start to turn slightly transparent and will coat the back of a spoon. It should take about 5 – 8 minutes.
Remove from heat and add the remaining lemon juice and whisk it in. Add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time stirring until each has melted.
Pour the mixture into bowl and cover the top with plastic wrap patting it down across surface of the curd. This will avoid a skin from forming over top. Cool and refrigerate overnight or for several hours until firm and well chilled.
*************************************************
Angel Food Cake
2 cups egg whites (12 – 16 eggs)
2 cups powdered sugar (sift before measuring)
1 ¼ cup cake flour (if you do not have cake flour use regular flour and dip out three tablespoons) (sift before measuring)
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cream of tarter
1 ½ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
Heat oven to 350º.
Let egg whites stand until they are at room temperature.
Sift together the sifted powdered sugar, sifted flour, and salt.
Beat egg whites until frothy. Add cream of tarter and beat until soft peaks form. Continue to beat whites and add the granulated sugar gradually. Continue beating until whites are thickened and forming soft droopy peaks. Beat in vanilla.
Remove bowl from mixer and sprinkle one fourth sifted dry ingredients over whites. Use a spatula and gently fold in until well mixed. Fold in remaining dry ingredients one third at a time.
Gently pour batter evenly into ungreased tube pan and bake until top is light golden and springs back when touched lightly and a tester comes out clean about 40-45 minutes.
Invert pan over empty wine bottle if needed and cool completely.
To remove cake from pan run the tip of knife around outer edges of pan. Tap the bottom of the pan on counter until cake is loosened. Cover pan with wire rack or cake plate and invert pan. Gently push the bottom of the pan from sides and remove pan. Run knife around bottom of pan and remove the bottom of pan. Cake will lift out of pan and bottom easily like a big soft pillow.
*************************************************
Lemon Filling
1 package cream cheese – 8 oz.
1 can Eagle Brand Milk
Lemon Curd (reserve one third for Lemon Frosting)
Beat softened cream cheese in mixer until smooth. Add Eagle Brand milk and mix well. Add Lemon Curd (reserving one third for frosting). Mix well and pour into covered container. Chill until very firm.
Reserve ½ cup of this Lemon Filling along with the one third of the Lemon Curd to mix with whipped cream for the Lemon Frosting.
*************************************************
Lemon Frosting
2 cups heavy cream
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ teaspoon salt
Lemon Curd
Lemon Filling
Whip cream until it starts to thicken. Add the sugar, salt, and vanilla and beat until very thick. Stir in remaining Lemon Curd and Lemon Filling and mix until well blended. Refrigerate until well chilled. Give it a quick stir before frosting cake.
To assemble cake:
Cut top off cake and hollow out the insides of cake leaving ½ inch along sides and bottom. Tear out clumps of cake and add the clumps to Lemon Filling. Stir to coat all the cake clumps with the filling. Spoon filling into hollowed out cake heaping it just above top. Replace top of cake over filling. Refrigerate until well chilled and firm.
Frost the cake with the Lemon Frosting and garnish as desired.
