Mamas Angel Food Cake With Bourbon Crème Anglaise Recipes

ANGEL FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place flour and salt in a sieve set over a bowl; sift into bowl, and set aside. With a mixer, beat egg whites on medium-high until foamy, about 1 minute. Add cream of tartar; beat until soft peaks form. Continue to beat, gradually adding sugar; beat until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Add vanilla; beat to combine.
• Gently transfer egg-white mixture to a large, wide bowl. In four batches, using the sieve again, sift flour mixture over egg-white mixture. While turning the bowl, use a rubber spatula to fold in the mixture by cutting down the center and coming up the sides.
• Gently spoon batter into an ungreased angel food cake pan with a removable bottom; smooth top. Cut a knife or small spatula through batter to release air bubbles. Bake until cake is golden and springs back when lightly pressed, 35 to 40 minutes. Invert pan; let cool in pan, 1 hour. Run a knife around the inside of the pan and around the tube to release cake, and unmold. Use knife to release cake from bottom of pan, and remove.

BOURBON CREME ANGLAISE

Steps:

• Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside.
• Place milk in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, and salt until thick and light. Slowly pour in half of the hot milk, while stirring constantly. Slowly pour the egg mixture into the remaining milk mixture, stirring constantly. Stir in bourbon.
• Place saucepan over low heat and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring constantly. Continue cooking until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and reaches 180 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from heat.
• Strain creme anglaise through a fine mesh sieve set over a medium bowl. Set bowl in ice water bath and stir creme anglaise until cooled. Keep refrigerated until ready to use, up to 1 day.

FIVE-SPICE ANGEL FOOD CAKE WITH ORANGE CREME ANGLAISE-HOMEMADE

Steps:

• For cake: In bowl, sift together flour, five-spice powder and salt.
• Sift mixture a second time.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and extracts together at medium speed.
• Increase speed to high and continue to beat mixture until soft peaks form.
• Gradually add the sugar, beating until just before peaks are stiff.
• Egg white mixture should be glossy and smooth.
• Be careful not to over beat, or the cake will not be as tall.
• Fold half of the flour mixture into the egg white mixture with a rubber spatula.
• Then fold in the remaining flour mixture, being careful not to overwork the batter and knock the air out.
• Pour batter into ungreased 10-inch tube pan and place on the middle oven rack.
• Bake at 350°F until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes.
• For Creme Anglaise: Meanwhile, in a 2-quart pan over medium-high heat, combine the half-and-half, sugar and orange peel.
• Bring the mixture to a scald (just below the boiling point), then remove from heat and set aside for the flavors to steep for 30 minutes.
• Return the pan to heat and reheat to scalding.
• Back to Cake: Remove cake from oven and let stand for a few minutes before inverting onto a rack to cool; do not remove cake from pan yet.
• Back to Sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks.
• Add a ladle full of the scalded cream mixture to the yolks to temper them, whisking immediately.
• This is important or you will end up with scrambled eggs instead of a nice sauce.
• With heat at medium, add warmed yolks to pan, whisking constantly until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes.
• (Do not allow mixture to come to a boil.) Immediately pour mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl.
• Set the bowl into a larger bowl of ice water and allow it to cool.
• When cold, stir in the orange-flavored liqueur.
• Back to cake: When cake is completely cool, turn pan over and gently run a knife around the edges to loosen cake.
• Turn cake out onto a serving plate.
• Cut cake using a serrated knife and serve each piece atop a pool of creme anglaise.

MAMA'S ANGEL FOOD CAKE WITH BOURBON CRèME ANGLAISE

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the lower part of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Sift the flour with 3/4 cup of the sugar. Re-sift three times. Set aside.
• To prepare the batter, in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the whisk, place the egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar. Whisk on medium speed until foamy. Add the vanilla-bean seeds and almond extract. With the mixer on medium speed, add the remaining 3/4 cup of sugar, a little at a time, until the whites are glossy and hold stiff peaks when the whisk is lifted. Sift enough of the flour mixture in to dust the top of the foam. Using a spatula, fold in gently. Continue until all of the flour mixture is incorporated.
• Gently spoon the batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan. With a spatula or a knife, using a circular motion, cut through the batter twice to eliminate any large pockets of air. Smooth the top to remove any large peaks.
• Bake until golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Invert the pan over a bottle (such as a 2-liter soda bottle or wine bottle) and let rest until completely cooled, about 2 hours.
• To serve, set upright, and using a butter knife or long spatula, loosen the cake from the sides of the pan. Invert onto a serving plate. Slice with a serrated knife or angel food cake cutter. Serve drizzled with crème anglaise.
• The cake will keep in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
• Make an ice bath by filling a large bowl halfway with ice cubes and water.
• In a saucepan, bring the milk almost to a boil over medium heat. In a second saucepan, blend together the egg yolks, sugar, and salt with a wooden spoon until thick and light (be careful not to make the mixture foamy). Mix in half the hot milk, then transfer the mixture to the other saucepan with the remaining milk and blend. Add the bourbon.
• Decrease the heat to low and simmer gently, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Continue stirring the custard until thick enough to coat the back of the spoon and the mixture reaches 180°F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from the heat.
• Set a sieve over a large, clean bowl and pass the custard through the sieve.
• Place the bowl in the ice bath, and stir the custard until it has completely cooled. Lay a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Store the custard in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.