Angel cake is a moist white, light and delicate foam cake originating in America. It contains no other raising agents than egg whites. Its lightness is aided by the absence of any added fat. Of all the sponge cakes this one has the highest amount of sugar, which helps to support and stabilise the egg whites.
Rudi’s tips:
• Make sure that all your equipment is very clean, take no short cuts and measure everything exactly.
• The cake is traditionally baked in a ring-shaped tube tin. The tube helps the batter to rise more, resulting in a lighter cake. If you don’t have a tube pan, use a bundt tin. Don’t grease the pan as the cake is cooled upside down in the tin to prevent it from falling in on itself.
• Use a serrated knife when cutting the cake, as a straight-edged knife will compress the cake.
Rudi Liebenberg is the executive chef of The Saxon Boutique Hotel & Spa in Sandhurst, Johannesburg. Call 011-292-6000 for restaurant reservations.
Angel cake with white chocolate ganache
Ingredients
- 120g (1 cup) cake flour
- 260g sugar
- 3ml salt
- 13 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 3ml cream of tartar
- 5ml (1 tsp) vanilla extract
White chocolate ganache
- 300ml fresh cream
- 900g good quality white chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 vanilla pod, seeds removed
- white chocolate scrolls, to garnish
- seasonal fruit, to garnish
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
Sift the flour, 100g of the sugar and the salt together. Set aside.
Whisk the egg whites until they are frothy, then add the cream of tartar and continue to whisk. Add the remaining sugar and continue whisking until a thick meringue is formed. Add the vanilla extract.
Gently fold in the flour mixture.
Pour the batter into a ring-shaped tube tin (see Rudi’s Tips below) and bake until a skewer comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
Turn the tin upside down and let the cake cool in the tin.
To remove the cake, slide a palette knife around the sides of the tin and remove. Allow the cake to cool completely before icing.
Heat the cream over a medium heat, then add the chocolate. Whisk the mixture with an electric mixer until it is thick. Mix in the vanilla seeds. Pour the ganache over the cake and garnish with chocolate scrolls and fruit.
