I think things are finally starting to slow down! I even planned a dinner menu for this week that I actually plan on sticking to for once. We get our first CSA delivery of fresh produce this Wednesday so I’m looking forward to seeing what we get and what I can make from it!
Next week we’re going to the beach with Johns family, so this week is preparing for that (packing, making sure we have everything we need, grocery shopping, and baking) but I feel like I actually have time for all of that this week, which is such a great feeling!
A couple weeks ago it was my turn to bring dessert to Bible Study. Sometimes certain recipes just come to mind and sometimes I search the internet for what feels like forever to find the perfect dessert. Luckily, this time a dessert came to mind. I was reminiscing about a dessert my mom used to make when I was a kid- layers of angel food cake, vanilla pudding, strawberries, and kiwi. So I decided to make that! But I omitted the kiwi, just in case some people weren’t fans, so the result was more of a strawberry shortcake trifle.
I love angel food cake! Even if it comes from the grocery store..And I had heard that making angel food cake from scratch was a little difficult. But I decided to try it anyway! And I was pleasantly surprised. With my Kitchen Aid stand mixer, this cake was whipped up (literally, 12 egg whites whipped!) in no time at all!
Angel Food Cake
From Food.com
1 c cake flour
3/4 c sugar
12 large egg whites (room temperature) (Save 1 egg yolk if you want to make pudding)
1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 c sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
Heat oven to 375 F and get out your angel food cake pan (I bought one specifically for this, don’t know if another pan would work..(maybe a bundt cake pan?) Do not grease it!
When separating egg whites from yolks, make sure no yolk gets in the mixture. You may want to use a small bowl before adding each egg. If any yolk gets in the egg whites it won’t work.
Beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt until peaks form.
Sift the cake flour and 3/4 c sugar together (I sifted by stirring rapidly for a minute with a whisk)
Add the other 3/4 c sugar to the egg mixture and beat until stiff peaks form.
Start beating on low, then gradually add the flour/sugar mixture.Make sure you get all of it off the bottom and sides of the bowl.
Pour into the angel food cake pan, then run a knife through to get rid of any air bubbles.
Bake for 30-35 minutes.
Let cool, then run a knife around the edges and remove from pan. (If you have a two piece angel food cake pan, this should be fairly easy)
This angel food cake tastes absolutely delicious on its own! I could probably eat it all in one sitting…. But to make it into a trifle, you can add whatever pudding, or fruit that you want!
I made vanilla pudding to layer with my angel food cake:
Vanilla Pudding
1/2 c sugar
3 tbsp corn starch
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups milk (I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk)
1/2 vanilla bean
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
Combine sugar, corn starch, and salt in saucepan.
Cut the vanilla bean open and scrape the vanilla beans into the mixture. Then put the vanilla bean itself in.
Turn stove on medium, and whisk in milk, then egg yolk.
Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute.
Remove the vanilla bean.
Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until thoroughly chilled.
Then I cut up strawberries, and continued to layer angel food cake, pudding, and strawberries until everything was gone. I would recommend using a glass serving bowl for this if you have one so everyone can see the layers (I didn’t have one..) so this is what I ended up with:
So light and refreshing! Perfect for a hot spring night!
