This is the lightest and most delicate cake you've ever tasted. Lavender angel food cake is airy, aromatic, and the perfect final note for afternoon tea, a light summer meal, a garden party, or just a simple Sunday afternoon. It's heavenly.
Ingredients
Lavender Lemon Angel Food Cake
12egg whites, at room temperature (Reserve egg yolks for another use. See blog post for ideas.)
2teaspoonscream of tartar
½ teaspoonsea salt
2cupsgranulated sugar
1 ½ teaspoonsdried lavender
1teaspoonlemon oil
Zest from 1 lemon
1 ⅓ cupcake flour
Meringue Frosting
4egg whites
⅔ cupsugar
¼ teaspooncream of tartar
A pinch of sea salt
½ teaspoonlemon oil
Instructions
For the Lavender Lemon Angel Food Cake
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the room-temperature egg whites in a large bowl and add the cream of tartar and sea salt. Using electric beaters, beat the egg whites until they are frothy, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the sugar, about 2 tablespoons at a time, while continuing to beat the egg whites. Beat the egg whites until all the sugar has been added and they form stiff peaks, about 5 minutes. Add the lavender, lemon oil, and lemon zest and beat just until they are combined.
12 egg whites, 2 teaspoons cream of tartar, ½ teaspoon sea salt, 2 cups granulated sugar, 1 ½ teaspoons dried lavender, 1 teaspoon lemon oil, Zest from 1 lemon
Hold a fine mesh sieve over the bowl of beaten egg whites and add ⅓ cup of the cake flour. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the flour into the egg whites. Repeat with the remaining cake flour, ⅓ cup at a time.
1 ⅓ cup cake flour
Pour the cake batter into an ungreased 10-inch angel food cake pan and bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
Remove the cake from the oven and invert the pan onto a wine bottle (or something similar.) Note: some angel food cake pans have feet to hold the cake upside down while it cools. If yours does, use them rather than a wine bottle. When the cake is completely cool, run a knife around the outside to loosen it, remove the bottom of the cake pan, and gently coax the cake out and onto a serving platter.
For the frosting
In a double-boiler, or using a heat-proof bowl over a pot of water, add the egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar. Bring the water to a boil, making sure that the water does not touch the bottom of the other pot or bowl. Using an electric beater, beat the frosting until the sugar has dissolved and the frosting is hot. Remove from the heat and continue to beat until the frosting has cooled and is thick, about 5 minutes. Quickly beat in the lemon oil and salt.
4 egg whites, ⅔ cup sugar, ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar, ½ teaspoon lemon oil, A pinch of sea salt
Assemble the Lavender Lemon Angel Food Cake
Once the cake has cooled completely (at least 2 hours) spread the frosting over the top and sides of the cake using a rubber spatula. You can sprinkle a little lemon zest and lavender flowers over the top, if you'd like.
Notes
See the blog post for ideas about how to use the leftover egg yolks.