Tropical Angel Cake Recipes

PIñA COLADA ANGEL FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C).
• Sift together cake flour and ¾ cup of sugar.
• In a large mixing bowl with whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until foamy on a low speed.
• Add cream of tartar and salt and continue to beat, gradually increasing the speed to high.
• When the egg whites get whiter, add remaining ¾ cup of sugar one tablespoon at a time.
• Add pure vanilla extract and continue to beat on high speed until hard peaks form.
• Transfer the whipped egg whites into a large bowl.
• Add flour/sugar mixture and carefully mix everything together. Be careful not to deflate the batter too much.
• Now transfer the batter to ungreased angel food cake pan. Even out the surface. Run a butter knife through the batter to remove any air bubbles.
• Bake for about 40-45 minutes. It's ready if the inserted wooden stick comes out clean.
• Cool the cake completely in the pan upside down for 90-120 minutes. This will make sure the cake stays soft and fluffy while cooling.
• Whisk the heavy cream with sugar until hard peaks form. (Adjust the sugar to your taste.)
• Drain the pineapple, reserving the juice for later. Carefully fold in the crushed pineapple into the whipped cream. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• In a mixing bowl with paddle attachment beat cream cheese and butter on medium high speed.
• Add powdered sugar, pineapple juice and coconut extract. Continue to beat until nice and smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Spread the coconut flakes evenly on a cookie sheet. Bake it for 5-8 minutes at 350°F (177°C), or until nice and golden, stirring every few minutes.
• Cut the cooled cake horizontally and remove the top layer. Using a small knife, cut out a tunnel in the center of the bottom layer.
• Evenly soak the cake with a little bit of reserved pineapple juice (mix with rum, if desired).
• Fill the tunnel with pineapple whipped cream. Place the top layer and frost with cream cheese frosting. Then cover with toasted coconut flakes.
• If desired, pipe cream cheese frosting on the top and garnish with maraschino cherries.

TROPICAL ANGEL FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350° F. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the sugar and freeze-dried fruit (see note) until thoroughly combined.
• Sift flour and 1/2 cup fruit/sugar mixture into a medium bowl. Set aside.
• Combine egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar in a mixer bowl. Using the whisk attachment, beat mixture on medium-high until firm peaks form.
• Reduce mixer to medium and gradually add remaining fruit/sugar mixture. Beat on high speed until thick and shiny.
• Add coconut extract. Beat on high speed one more minute.
• Sift 1/4 of flour mixture into mixer bowl and carefully fold in, being cautious not to deflate the egg white mixture. Once fully combined, repeat with the remaining flour mixture in three more additions. Ensure that the mixture is completely combined, with no unmixed dry ingredients.
• Pour batter into an *ungreased* 10-inch tube pan, preferably an angel food cake pan with small feet (see notes). Smooth top of the batter.
• Bake 30-35 minutes, or until top of cake springs back when touched. Invert pan on counter or cooling rack (see note), and allow to cool completely. Run a thin knife around the cake to remove it from the pan.
• Warm the heavy cream in a medium saucepan. When bubbles have appeared around the edge of the pan (just before boiling), turn off the heat and add toasted, unsweetened coconut (see note). Allow coconut to steep in the warm cream, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.
• Strain the coconut out of the cream, and place the cream in the refrigerator until chilled through. (You can steep/chill the cream the day before and store in the refrigerator until needed.)
• Once chilled through, pour cold heavy cream, powdered sugar, and coconut extract (see note) in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Start the mixer on low speed, and gradually increase the speed to high. Whip until the cream thickens and forms peaks.
• You can either spread all of the coconut whipped cream on top of the cake like I did, or if you're not planning to serve it all at once, I would suggest serving the whipped cream alongside slices so you don't make the cake soggy. Top with toasted coconut flakes (see note) and pineapple flowers (see note), if desired.Enjoy!

ANGEL FOOD CAKE WITH TROPICAL FRUIT COMPOTE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Sift the flour together with 1/2 cup of the sugar and set aside.
• Put the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer. Be SURE that the bowl is clean and dry, any fat in the bowl can prevent the egg whites from whipping up fluffy fluffy fluffy! Add the salt and the cream of tartar to the egg whites. Beat the egg whites on a medium-high speed until they reach soft peaks, about 5 minutes.
• While the mixer is running, gradually add the remaining sugar. DO NOT plop the sugar in all at once or it will push the air out of the whites that we are trying to beat in. Add in the vanilla and zests and then stop the mixer. Add 1/3 of the flour/sugar mixture and fold gently fold, do this quickly but gently. Repeat the process 2 more times until all of the flour/sugar mixture is incorporated.
• Transfer the cake batter into an ungreased tube pan. Bang the cake pan on the counter a couple of times to release any air bubbles trapped in the cake batter.
• Bake the cake on a sheet tray in the preheated oven until it is light and springy, about 1 1/4 hours. Cool the cake for at least 1 hour before unmolding. Serve with the tropical fruit compote.
• For the compote: In a food processor or blender, puree the coarsely chopped mango and 1/2 cup orange juice. If this mixture needs a little more sweetness, add in the 2 teaspoons of sugar and puree for another 10 seconds or until the sugar has dissolved.
• Combine all of the fruit and remaining orange juice and let the mixture sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Serve slices of the cake drizzled with the mango puree and sprinkled generously with the fruit compote. Garnish with mint and serve.
• Wow! How tropical-fruity and the cake is light as air!