Angel Food Cake with Brown Sugar-Bourbon Cream

Serves: 12

dessert vegetarian american

Ingredients

Angel Food Cake

  • 1.75 cups egg whites (from about 13 large eggs), at room temperature
  • 1.5 teaspoons cream of tartar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 0.125 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1.75 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup cake flour (about 4.25 ounces)

Brown Sugar-Bourbon Cream

  • 5 large egg yolks
  • 0.5 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 0.125 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1.5 cups whole milk
  • 2 tablespoons bourbon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into thin pats
  • 1.33 cups heavy cream

Additional Ingredient

  • Mixed fresh berries, for serving

Instructions

Make The Angel Food Cake

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Beat egg whites in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on low speed until frothy, about 3 minutes.
  3. Add cream of tartar, vanilla, and salt; increase speed to medium, and beat until mixture is doubled in volume, about 4 minutes.
  4. With the mixer running on medium speed, gradually add granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time.
  5. Beat until meringue is glossy, bright white, and thick enough to form soft, rounded mounds on top of egg white mixture, about 4 minutes. (Stop beating meringue shy of soft peaks.)
  6. Sift cake flour over meringue using a fine mesh strainer; stir once with a rubber spatula just to combine. Fold to fully incorporate flour. (Do not overmix.)
  7. Transfer batter to an ungreased 10-inch footed aluminum angel food cake pan with removable bottom.
  8. Bake in preheated oven until cake is golden brown and bounces back when top is lightly pressed, 40 to 45 minutes.
  9. Invert cake pan to stand on its feet; let cake cool completely, 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours.

Meanwhile, Make The Brown Sugar-Bourbon Cream

  1. Whisk together egg yolks, brown sugar, all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and salt in a small saucepan.
  2. Whisk in milk until well combined. Cook over medium-low, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens and begins to bubble, about 8 minutes.
  3. Continue to cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute.
  4. Immediately pour mixture through a fine mesh strainer set over a medium bowl; discard any solids.
  5. Stir in bourbon and vanilla bean paste. Add butter; stir until melted.
  6. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto surface of pastry cream; chill in refrigerator until cold, about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
  7. Run a long, thin knife around pan edge and center tube to release cake.
  8. Lift center tube to remove cake from pan sides; run knife under cake to release it from the pan bottom.
  9. Invert cake onto a serving platter.
  10. To serve, beat heavy cream in a large bowl using a whisk until stiff peaks form, about 4 minutes.
  11. Stir 3/4 cup whipped cream into chilled pastry cream to loosen; fold in remaining whipped cream until just combined.
  12. Cut cake slices using a long, serrated knife or angel food cake cutter, and serve with brown sugar-bourbon cream and berries.