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In the Oven: Vanilla Bean Angel Food Cake with Milk Chocolate Glaze

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Next up, just in time for Valentine’s Day — we’re making a vanilla bean angel food cake with milk chocolate glaze. Posting date is February 12.

Vanilla Bean Angel Food Cake with Milk Chocolate Glaze
Author: Matt Lewis & Renato Poliafito
Serves: 1 tube cake, 12 to 16 servings
Ingredients
  • For the Vanilla Bean Angel Food Cake
  • 3⁄4 cup (75 g) sifted confectioners’ sugar
  • 3⁄4 cup (90 g) sifted cake flour
  • 1⁄2 cup (55 g) sifted all-purpose flour
  • 1 3⁄4 cups (420 ml) egg whites (from about 12 to 15 eggs), at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons warm water
  • 1 1⁄2 teaspoons cream of tartar
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup (200 g) sifted super-fine sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla paste
  • For the Milk Chocolate Glaze
  • 6 ounces (170 g) milk chocolate, chopped
  • 1⁄4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (90 ml) heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 1⁄2 teaspoons corn syrup
Instructions
MAKE THE VANILLA BEAN ANGEL FOOD CAKE
  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C) and position a rack in the center of the oven.
  2. Sift together the confectioners’ sugar and both flours into a medium bowl. Repeat the sifting process two more times.
  3. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and water on medium speed until frothy. Sprinkle the cream of tartar and salt over the mixture and beat on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sifted superfine sugar and beat until peaks are droopy (somewhere between medium and stiff). Add the vanilla paste and whisk on low speed until just combined, about 10 seconds.
  4. Remove the bowl from the mixer and sprinkle one-third of the flour mixture over the egg whites. Fold it in very gently. Add half of the remaining flour and fold it in gently. Add the remaining flour and fold it in until just incorporated.
  5. Transfer the batter to an ungreased 10-cup (2.4-L) tube pan with a removable bottom; do not use a nonstick pan. Run an offset spatula through the batter to pop air bubbles and smooth the top of the batter.
  6. Bake the cake for 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until it is pale golden in color and a toothpick or skewer inserted near the center of the cake comes out clean. If the pan has feet, immediately invert it onto a work surface; if not, invert the pan and place the center of the tube onto the neck of a bottle or a metal funnel. Cool the cake completely.
  7. Once cooled, use a long, thin knife to cut around the sides of the cake and the center tube to loosen. Lift out the center tube with the cake still attached; run the knife between the cake and the bottom of the pan to loosen. Remove the cake from the center tube and invert it onto a wire rack. Place the rack with the cake onto a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment.
MAKE THE MILK CHOCOLATE GLAZE
  1. Place the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl and set aside.
  2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the cream and corn syrup and bring just to a boil. Remove from the heat and pour the cream mixture over the chocolate. Let stand for 1 minute, then, starting in the center of the bowl and working your way out to the edges, slowly stir the chocolate and cream mixture in a circle until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth.
  3. Drizzle the glaze over the top of the cake in a zigzag pattern. Let the glaze set, about 10 minutes, before serving. For the best cut, dip a serrated knife into hot water and dry it completely, then cut, using a sawing motion and trying not to press down on the cake while cutting. You can use any extra warm glaze to decorate individual slices if you are feeling decadent.
Notes
[i]How to Store[/i]: The cake can be stored, tightly covered, at room temperature for up to 3 days, though it is generally best served within 48 hours.

 

Comments

  1. My fiancée keeps trying to figure out how to turn this into strawberry shortcake- with the milk chocolate glaze. I’ll let you guys know what he decides on our posting date!

  2. Have you guys ever successfully used carton egg whites for recipes like this? There’s only so much (healthyish things) I can do with 12 egg yolks!

    • It’s risky… letting them warm to room temperature, and using enough cream of tartar and allowing the whites to whip to soft peaks prior to adding sugar will typically work. It can vary from brand to brand due to different amounts of stabilizers being added. I was planning on trying it for this recipe. You can always make hollandaise, homemade mayonnaise, etc with the yolks if you split the eggs and use fresh whites.