Recipes

[LoLa]

Lime + Pistachio Angel Food Cake
(recipe source: Baked Elements)

This cake is truly heavenly! It's a tiny bit of an effort, but so worth it. I would have never thought to put together the two flavors of the lime with the pistachio. It's brilliant!


For the Lime Angel Food Cake:
1 cups superfine sugar, divided
1 cup cake flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 large egg whites, at room temperature
2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cream of tartar

For the Lime Syrup and Glaze:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 Tablespoons lime juice, divided (from about 2 limes)
1/2 cup unsalted raw pistachios, finely chopped
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar

Make the Lime Angel Food Cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F and position a rack in the center.

In a medium bowl, sift together 1/2 cup superfine sugar, cake flour, and the salt. Repeat the sifting process two more times.

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites, lime zest, and vanilla on medium speed until frothy. Do not let the greenish hue of the batter scare you, it will return to normal after the remaining ingredients are added. Sprinkle the cream of tartar over the mixture and beat on medium-high until soft peaks form. In a gradual stream or a few tablespoons at a time, add the remaining 1/2 cup of superfine sugar and beat just until stiff peaks form. Remove the bowl from the mixer and sprinkle one-third of the flour mixture over the egg whites. Very gently fold in the flour. Add half of the remaining flour and again, very gently fold it in. Add the remaining flour and fold in until just incorporated.

Transfer the batter to an un-greased 10-cup tube pan with removable bottom (do not use nonstick pan). Use an offset spatula to smooth the top of the batter. Bake the cake for 35 to 38 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until it is pale golden in color and a toothpick or skewer inserted near the center of the cake comes out clean.

Take out the cake and immediately invert the pan onto a work surface if the pan has feet, or place the center of the tube pan onto the neck of a bottle or metal funnel, and cool the cake completely upside down.Once cool, using a long thin knife, cut around the sides of the cake from the center tube to loosen. Lift out the center tube with the cake still attached. Run the knife between the cake and the bottom of the pan to loosen. Remove the cake from the center tube and invert it onto a wire rack. Set the rack with cake onto a rimmed baking sheet.

Make the Lime Syrup: In a small saucepan over medium heat, stir together the granulated sugar and 3 tablespoons of the lime juice until smooth. Brush the syrup all over top and sides of the cake. Immediately press chopped pistachios on top (and sides, if desired) of the cake, pressing to adhere. Stir powdered sugar with remaining 1 Tablespoon lime juice in a small bowl until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the top of the cake in a zigzag pattern. Let the glaze set, about 10 minutes, before serving.

Storage: The cake can be stored at room temperature, tightly covered, for up to 3 days, though angel food cake is generally best served within 48 hours.

***Note from the author:
As with most angel food cakes, this cake should be cooled upside down to keep the cake tall and stop it from collapsing in on itself. However tempting it may be, do not grease your pan, nor should you use a nonstick pan. The cake will free itself from the pan when it cools with some gentle coaxing, even though it may appear stuck to the pan fresh out of the oven.