Equipment
- Large Tube Pan
- 1 medium piping bag
- 1 Wilton Drop Flower Pipping Tip 2C
Ingredients
- 1-¼ cups large egg whites about 9
- 1-½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup cake flour
- 1-¼ teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Strawberry Whip Cream and Berry Filling
- 2 12-ounce containers fresh strawberries washed, divided
- 1 cup granulated sugar divided, for the berries and whipped cream
- 2 cups heavy whip cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 6-ounce container mascarpone cheese
- 1 cup mixed raspberries, blueberries
- mint for garnish
Vanilla Creme Anglaise
- 1 cups heavy whip cream
- 2 cups heavy cream
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 vanilla bean, split
- 4 jumbo eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
FOR THE CAKE
- Place egg whites in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.
- Sift ½ cup sugar and flour together twice; set aside.
- Place oven rack in the lowest position. Preheat oven to 350°.
- Add cream of tartar, extracts and salt to egg whites; beat on medium speed until soft peaks form.
- Gradually add remaining sugar, about 2 tablespoons at a time, beating on high until stiff peaks form.
- Gradually fold in flour mixture, about ½ cup at a time.
- Gently spoon into an ungreased 10-in. tube pan. Cut through batter with a knife to remove air pockets. Bake until lightly browned and entire top appears dry, 35-40 minutes.
- Immediately invert pan; cool completely, about 1 hour.
- Run a knife around side and center tube of pan. Remove cake to serving plate.
Strawberry Whip Cream and Berry Filling
- BERRY FILLING: Wash and pat strawberries dry. Pick the most excellent berries (about 15) in various sizes and set aside until ready to build the cake. Remove green stems from the remaining berries and cut the berries in half. Place the cut berries in a medium saucepan over medium heat with ½ cup sugar. Cook until berries are soft.
- Place a fine sieve over a glass bowl. Drain berries reserving ALL the liquid. Place the berries in a bowl and refrigerate
- STRAWBERRY WHIP CREAM: In a large bowl, combine heavy cream, mascarpone cheese, ½ cup of sugar, and extracts.Whip until stiff peaks form. Add ¼ cup of the reserved strawberry liquid to the whipped cream and continue to beat on low to incorporate. Add more of the syrup until the whipped cream is pink in color, whipping after each addition until stiff peaks form. Add 1 cup whipped cream to a piping bag fitted with 1 Wilton Drop Flower Pipping Tip 2C. Keep the remaining whipped cream cool until ready to frost the cake.
Vanilla Creme Anglaise
- Bring heavy cream, ¼ cup sugar and vanilla bean to simmer in a small to medium-sized sauce pot.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks and the other ¼ cup sugar together until frothy.
- While stirring, slowly add about ½ of the heavy cream mixture to the eggs. Stir together gently. Pour the egg mixture into the pot of remaining heavy cream. Continue to cook over medium-low heat until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spatula or spoon. About 5-8 minutes
- Stir in the vanilla extract and remove from heat. Pour the mixture through a strainer into a container. Place the container in refrigerator until cool.
Build the Cake
- Once the cake is cooled, use a sharp serrated knife to cut the cake into three rings/slicesSpread the cooled strawberry jam over the bottom layer of the cake and then add half of the Crème Anglaise mixture and smooth over the jam. Evenly distribute a few more sliced strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries over the cream.
- Place the next layer of cake. Pipe the 1 cup of the whipped cream around the edges of the cake to make an edge to contain the Crème Anglaise and berries. Be sure to pipe some whipped cream near the hole left by the tub pan as well, to keep the remaining Crème Anglaise from sliding into the hole. Evenly distribute a few more sliced strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries over the cream.
- Lastly, Add the top layer of the cake. Tuck enough mixed berries into the hole left by the tube pan to give the cake structure, about ¼-1/2 cup. Use the reserved whipped cream to the top of the cake and then spread the rest over the sides with an offset spatula. Frost the side of the cake with a thin layer of remaining whipped cream to create a beautiful "Naked Cake"
- Decorate cake with fresh berries and mint. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving. ENJOY!
Notes
Use a tube pan when making any angel food cake recipe. The delicate egg batter needs the tall sides of the pan to cling to or else it will collapse. Another way to keep your cake from collapsing is to slowly add the sugar to the egg whites. Going slowly allows a beautiful foam to build. Adding too much sugar at one time can deflate the air you've worked so hard to incorporate.