Grandma Lucy's Angel Food Cake

When I was a kid, it wasn't June unless we had Grandma's angel food cake slathered in strawberries and whipped cream for my Dad's birthday.

Lucky for all of us, my grandma taught me the recipe and her tricks for making sure this dessert stays light and fluffy:

• Never make it on a humid day (back then not everyone had air conditioning).
• Use a serrated knife to slice the spongy goodness.

It's been awhile since I made angel food cake – June of 2012, to be exact, because my Dad was visiting on his birthday, which happens to be the same day as my husband's.

Last summer, my youngest son Sam took a liking to angel food cake after I let him buy one at the grocery. He can easily devour one "angel cake" on his own in about two days. I had great intentions of making some for him, but life got in the way.

So....a visit from my parents earlier this month, plus a successful strawberry picking outing, plus a couple of angel food cake lovers in the house meant only one thing – it was time to whip up Grandma's Angel Food Cake.

With Father's Day coming this weekend, you might consider making some for the Dads in your life.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Grandma Lucy's Angel Food Cake
1 cup cake flour (I use Swans Down)
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons white sugar
12 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 to 1 teaspoon almond extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Have ready a tube pan with a removable bottom (sometimes called an angel food cake pan). Do NOT grease the pan.

In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour and 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar. Set aside.

A note about the egg whites: For this recipe, separate the egg whites one at a time into a small bowl or cup before adding to the mixing bowl. You want to be sure there are no bits of yolk, as this will prevent the whites from becoming as fluffy as they need to be. Reserve the yolks for another use.

In a large bowl, combine egg whites, cream of tartar and salt. Beat with an electric mixer until the egg whites begin to form peaks. Add remaining 3/4 cup sugar and then continue to beat until stiff peaks form, like in the photo below:

Sprinkle flour mixture over egg whites. Add vanilla and almond extracts. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, fold flour and extracts into egg whites. Do not stir. Gently fold in from the sides and bottom of the bowl. This combines all ingredients without deflating the egg whites.

Spoon batter into angel food cake pan, distributing evenly. Slowly move a knife through the batter to remove air bubbles. Smooth out top with rubber spatula or wooden spoon.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until top of cake is lightly browned and it springs back when you gently push the cake with your finger.

Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for about 15 minutes, or until the pan is cool enough to touch.

Then invert cake pan on a funnel to let the cake continue to cool. Don't worry, the cake will not fall out of the pan! Cool completely, at least 2 hours.

Remove tube pan from funnel. Run a rubber spatula around the edges of the cake pan to loosen the cake. Place a plate or cake stand on the top of the cake and invert the pan. Gently lift cake pan up. If cake does not begin to slide out on its own, tap the sides of the pan. Remove outer pan, then ease bottom of pan off what is now the top of the cake. You may need to use a rubber spatula to separate the cake from the pan.

Now you're ready to slice and serve Grandma Lucy's Angel Food Cake. To ensure that the cake retains it's height, be sure to use a serrated knife to cut the cake.

Angel food cake is delicious all by itself, but at my house, we think it tastes even better with fresh strawberries and whipped cream.

Triple Almond Chocolate Banana Pudding

As you all know, I'm on the hunt for healthy snacks to feed my boys. We need tidbits packed with protein, energy that lasts — and just enough sweetness to make them appealing.

After I shared my popcorn marshmallow bars, the fine folks at Nuts.com invited me to try using almond flour. I love an excuse to get to work in the kitchen and boy, was I pleasantly surprised. I'm a newbie at using gluten-free flours. Almond flour works just like all-purpose white and whole wheat flours and is high in protein and vitamin E.

I'm trying to clean up our diets in general, so I'm thrilled that my kids liked this no-sugar chocolate dessert.  The sweetness comes from extremely ripe bananas. For even more fun, you can make the consistency closer to ice cream by using frozen bananas.

And I definitely suggest eating this power pudding for breakfast! Such a nutty way to start the day. (Sorry, I couldn't resist!)

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Triple Almond Chocolate Banana Pudding
Inspired by Williams Sonoma and The Sprouted Kitchen

2 overripe bananas (fresh or frozen or some of each)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cups almond butter
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of sea salt
1/3 cup almond milk, divided
1/4 cup almond flour
Optional: for extra sweetness, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of maple syrup or honey

Place bananas, cocoa powder, almond butter, cinnamon and salt in a blender or food processor. Add about 1/8 cup almond milk. Blend until everything is mixed together but not yet smooth. Use a rubber spatula to scrap down the sides of blender or food processor.

Add almond flour and another 1/8 cup almond milk. Blend until smooth, adding more splashes of almond milk as needed to smooth out texture. (Adding the almond flour at the end prevents clumping in the bottom of the blender.)

Transfer to four small bowls. Enjoy immediately, especially if you used frozen bananas.

If you used fresh bananas, this pudding tastes great chilled. Cover bowls with plastic wrap and pop in the fridge for an hour or more. You can make this pudding ahead. It holds up well in the refrigerator for about three days.

Sprinkle with banana slices and nuts, like sliced toasted almonds or chopped pecans. My Sam says it's even better with whipped cream on top.

Strawberry Shortcake

My daughters and I have an Easter tradition. Lucy and Penny can pick any dessert and I will make it. They chose crème brûlée last year -- giving me the excuse to buy a kitchen torch and ramekins -- and raspberry tart the year before that and cheesecake the year before that.

This year, I asked them to pretty please pick something quick and easy and that didn't require crazy equipment or hard-to-find ingredients as we'd be spending the holiday at my parents' house. At one point, one of them mentioned strawberry shortcake. Perfect!

I've made this strawberry shortcake since then, whipping it up for a casual dinner party Chez George. And I am pretty sure I will be making it a few more times between now and the end of summer. 

This version reminds me of the strawberry shortcake my mom used to make, using Bisquick for the cake. At some point, I want to mix in a few basil leaves with the strawberries. My favorite Charlotte restaurant serves this amazing strawberry cake with basil gelato. Mmmmm...I'm going to be thinking about that cake for a while now.

Anyhow, I hope you enjoy this delish classic.

XOXO,
Amy

Strawberry Shortcake

Adapted from AllRecipes.com

Yields 1 8-inch round cake

2-3 pounds fresh strawberries

1/3 cup white sugar

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

2 tablespoons white sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup butter, softened

1 egg

2/3 cup milk

1 cup whipped heavy cream, sweetened to your liking

Place a metal bowl in the freezer. You will use this bowl at the end to make your whipped cream.

Trim and slice strawberries and toss them with 1/3 cup of white sugar. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease an 8-inch round cake pan.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, 2 tablespoons white sugar and the salt. Slice the softened butter into the dry mixture and use a pastry cutter until the mixture is crumbly. (Note: My mom and I don't have pastry cutters, so I used a potato masher, which worked just fine.)

Press batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool partially until you are ready to serve.

Prepare the whipped cream. Pour the cream into the chilled bowl, add about 2 tablespoons sugar. Set mixer to medium and whip cream for a minute or two before upping the speed. Mix until soft peaks form and it looks like the consistency of what come out of the Reddi-Wip can. (Note: Erin uses powdered sugar and vanilla extract. She also has instructions for ensuring you don't end up making butter. Click here.)

Cut cake into wedges and plate. Top with strawberries and some of their juices and the whipped cream. You can also garnish with fresh mint or basil.

Lemon Buttermilk Cake

When Amy invited me for dinner and shared her plan to make Spring on Toast, I knew I needed to come up with a dessert that was equally seasonal. Well this Lemon Buttermilk Cake is a little ray of springtime sunshine.

Rich, dense, and moist, this not-too-sweet cake shines with the perfect amount of tang and zip from buttermilk and lemon. While the cake is lovely on its own, it begs to be smothered in berries and freshly whipped cream.

The husband and I have whipped cream in a can in our fridge at all times, but this cake calls for something special. Grab a carton of whipping cream at the grocery store and do it up right. If you haven't made your own whipped cream yet, don't be afraid! It's not difficult; you just need to keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't turn into butter. (So don't turn on your mixer and go start a load of laundry.) And the ridiculously delicious flavor is absolutely worth the five minutes of effort.

When you're getting ready for your next Spring gathering (Easter, perhaps?), let this Lemon Buttermilk Cake be the star of your menu.

Let's get cooking!
Erin

Lemon Buttermilk Cake
Adapted from Real Simple and this Lemon Pound Cake

2 cups flour, plus extra for the pan
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1/4 cup lemon juice (from about 1 large lemon)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Lightly sweetened berries, for serving
Whipped Cream, for serving (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9" x 5" loaf pan and dust with flour, tapping out excess. Set pan aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk together melted butter, sugar, buttermilk, eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla. Add wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk everything together.

Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool in the pan for ten minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Serve with lightly sweetened berries and whipped cream.

Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Put the bowl of your electric mixer and the whisk attachment in the freezer for about 10 minutes. (This will help your cream whip up more easily.) Add whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla to the cold bowl. Turn the mixer to medium speed until the cream starts to get a bit bubbly, about 1 minute. Crank up the speed to high and whip until soft peaks form, about 1-3 minutes longer.

Heads-up: Be careful not to whip the cream too much or it will actually turn into butter. And, yes, I did learn this the hard way.