Angel food cake gets its ethereal fluffiness from whipped egg whites, which also keep it friendly to the waistline and healthy for the heart. The unused egg yolks may be saved for making such real indulgences as Crème Anglaise, custards, or lemon curd.
Recipe information
Yield
about 8 people
Ingredients
For the cake
For the glaze
Preparation
Make the cake:
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 300°F. Sift the flour 3 times onto a sheet of wax paper. Sift together the sifted flour and 2/3 cup of the sugar onto another sheet of wax paper. In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat the egg whites until they are frothy, add the salt and the cream of tartar, and beat the mixture until it barely forms soft peaks. Beat in the remaining 1 cup of sugar, a little at a time, the rosewater, and the vanilla and beat the mixture until it holds soft peaks. Sift one fourth of the flour mixture over the whites, fold it gently but thoroughly, and sift and fold in the remaining flour mixture in the same manner. Spoon the batter into a very clean, ungreased tube pan, 10 by 8 1/4 by 4 1/4 inches, preferably with a removable bottom, smoothing the top, and rap the pan on a hard surface twice to remove any air bubbles. Bake the cake in the middle of the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until it is springy to the touch and a tester comes out clean. If the pan has feet invert it over a work surface; otherwise invert it over the neck of a bottle. Let the cake cool for at least 2 hours or overnight. Run a thin knife in a sawing motion around the edge of the pan and the tube to loosen the cake from the pan and invert the cake onto a cake plate.
Make the glaze:
Step 2
In a small bowl stir together with a fork the confectioner's sugar, the lemon juice, and the grenadine syrup until the mixture is smooth.
Step 3
Pour the glaze over the cake, let the cake stand for 10 minutes, or until the glaze is set, and garnish it with the raspberries and the mint.
