Red Berry Angel Food Cake with Bamboo Cake Cutter and Gold Leaves Salad Plate

Angel food cake is a softer, airier alternative to shortcake, and it is a more pleasant vessel for the strawberries and raspberries that it holds. Sweet whipped cream pulls the whole thing together, and the red berries are an attractive garnish, readily available in the grocery store.

Serves 8-10 people.

INGREDIENTS:

For the Cake: 

• 1 cup cake flour, sifted
• 1 1/4 cups white sugar, sifted
• 12 egg whites
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/4 teaspoons lemon juice

For the Whipped Cream Frosting: 

• 3 cups heavy cream
• 3/4 cup white sugar

For the Berries: 

• 6 ounces raspberries, cut in half
• 10 ounces of strawberries, cut in half

DIRECTIONS: 

• Preheat oven to 325F
• Grease a 9 inch spring form pan with Canola oil by spraying with Pam or rubbing with a paper towel
• In a mixing bowl, combine flour with 3/4 cup sugar 
• In a stand mixer with whisk attachment, beat egg whites at low speed. Once frothy, add cream of tartar and salt and mix at medium speed.
• With the mixer is still on, gradually add the remaining sugar little by little. Continue to mix until the mixture forms white peaks. 
• Then, with the mixer still on, slowly add lemon juice and beat until fully combined. Turn off the mixer. 
• Using a spatula, gently fold flour mixture into egg white mixture, 1/3 cup at a time.
• Gently pour the cake batter into a pan. Gently tap the pan on the counter to make the batter flat within the pan. 
• Bake until the cake's edge turns golden brown, and a cake knife comes out clean, approximately 50-60 minutes.  
• Allow the cake to cool 15 minutes; run a knife around the edge of the cake; then release the cake pan's springs. Remove the pan's rim so that air can circulate all around the cake. Allow cake to cool completely 3-4 hours. 
• Removing the bottom of the pan, gently place the cake on a cutting board. 
• Cut the cake into three layers. 
• Prepare the whipped cream: in a stand mixer with whisk attachment, combine the heavy cream and sugar. Mix at low speed for 1 minute and then raise the speed to medium for another 1-2 minutes. When the whipped cream is at desired consistency, it is finished. 
• Place the bottom layer of the cake on a cake stand. Frost one layer of cream; add another layer of cake; front the next layer of cream; and add the final cake layer. 
• Frost the outside of the layer cake. 
• Dot with red berries. 
• Serve immediately or within at least 2 days.