Saturday, May 22, 2010

Happy Birthday, Dear Friend. . .

What would we do without our good friends? Today we celebrated a little belated birthday of one of my dear friends... Angel food cake...
sweet, red strawberries...


a little mocha latte....
And the sun was shining... what a pretty day! Happy weekend!
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Luscious Lemon Angel Food Cake with a Citrus Glaze

Paula Deen's

The perfect spring cake - light and beautiful!

Serves: 10
Cook Time: 85 Minutes
Smithfield Product: None

Ingredients

  • 1 cup cake flour
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
  • 12 large egg whites, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons of juice from a lemon
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
  • For the glaze:
  • 2 cups confectioner's sugar
  • 5 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • A few drops of yellow food coloring

Steps

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a small bowl, whisk 1/2 cup sugar and the flour. Set aside. In another bowl, use an an electric mixer to beat the egg whites on low until light and foamy. Add in the cream of tartar and the salt. Increasing the speed to high, continue to beat adding the remaining 1 cup sugar a little at a time until the egg whites form shiny soft peaks. Beat in the vanilla and lemon juice until just mixed in. Fold in the flour and sugar mixture a half cup at a time. Pour the batter into an un-greased tube pan. Drop the pan lightly on the counter to release any air bubbles and smooth the top. Place the cake on a lower rack in the oven, and bake for approximately 50-60 minutes or until the cake is golden brown and springs back when pressed with a finger on top.
In a medium bowl combine the confectioner's sugar and lemon juice. Add drops of yellow food coloring until desired color is achieved. Remove from oven and invert over the neck of a bottle. Let the cake cool completely before trying to remove from pan. When cooled, run a knife along the edges of the tube pan to release the cake. Put the cake, bottom side up, on a cake stand and drizzle the lemon glaze over the top.

Serving Suggestions

Garnish with your favorite fresh flowers.