Cherry Almond Angel Food Cake

Jenna Hutchinson and Ashley Kosowan

Jenna Rae Cakes

This recipe features the airy angel food cake you know combined with flavours of cherry and almond for a delicious new take on a classic.

Ingredients

Almond Angel Food Cake

1 cup + 2 Tbsp cake flour

1 3/4 cups caster sugar, divided

1/4 tsp salt

12 large egg whites, room temperature

1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1/2 tsp pure almond extract

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 to 3 drops soft pink gel food colouring

8 maraschino cherries, for garnish

Cherry Glaze

3 cups icing sugar

1/2 cup maraschino cherry juice

Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream

2 cups whipping cream (35%)

2 Tbsp icing sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste

Method

Almond Angel Food Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
2. In a food processor, pulse the cake flour, 3/4 cup of the caster sugar, and the salt 5 to 10 times, until the mixture is light and aerated.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Reduce the speed to low. Very slowly add the remaining 1 cup caster sugar. Increase the speed to medium-high. Whip for 5 minutes, or until soft peaks form. Add the almond extract, vanilla, and food colouring. Whip on medium speed until combined.
4. In three separate additions, use a fine-mesh sieve to sift the flour mixture into the egg whites, using a spatula to gently fold in the flour mixture after each addition. Take extreme care to not deflate the egg whites. Pour the batter into an ungreased tube pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a knife or toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
5. Leaving the cake in the pan, flip it upside down onto a wire rack to cool for 3 hours. Once cool, release the cake from the pan by running a knife or an offset spatula around the edges of the pan. Gently tap the pan on the counter until the cake comes out.

Cherry Glaze

In a medium bowl, whisk together the icing sugar and maraschino cherry juice until smooth.

Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream

Whip all ingredients until mixture looks light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Assembly

1. Whisk the cherry glaze, then immediately pour it evenly over the cake, letting the glaze run over to coat the sides of the cake.
2. Transfer the vanilla bean whipped cream to a piping bag fitted with a No. 8B tip. Pipe 8 evenly spaced rosettes of whipped cream around the top of the cake to form a crown. Top each rosette with a maraschino cherry.
3. To serve, cut slices with a serrated knife. This cake is best served fresh. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Yield 1 cake