The ‘angel food cake’ is a sponge cake originally from North America, and has this name because of its lightness and taste.
It is usually done in a special mold, high and round, with a hole in the middle.
It is a light cake (only the egg whites), spongy, juicy and is usually served with cream and / or red berries. On this occasion I wanted to give it a Asturian touch (from the north of Spain where I come from) adding apple cream and a few nuts with anise that make us think of the popular casadielles.
The ingredients needed are:
Ingredients for the sponge:
10 egg whites or 310 gr (can be pasteurized)
100 gr of flour
400 gr white sugar
a pinch of salt
A splash of lemon or a teaspoon of cream of tartar
A splash of vanilla essence
* The mold should not be greased, so the whites may pick up the wall of the mold to climb; Yes you can put some baking paper in the base of the oven so that it is not stuck and come out clean when unmolding.
First beat (better with a kitchen robot) the egg whites with the pinch of salt and the splash of lemon or cream of tartar; When they start to froth add the sugar slowly and at higher speed. Continue beating and add the vanilla essence and continue beating until you get a shiny and thick meringue.
Now the sifted flour is added in two or three times, carefully and slowly so the whites wont fall down (better to do so with the help of a spatula).
Pour the dough into the mold and smooth the surface. Bring to the oven preheated to 170º C for about 40 minutes or when the stick comes out clean and dry.
Important that when removing from the oven do not unmold, let cool completely and upside down. Once cold, pass a spatula on the sides and the sponge will come off without problem.
Ingredients for apple cream:
2 apples
2 cinnamon sticks
4 tablespoons of sugar
1 egg
150 ml liquid cream
lemon rind
Chop the apples in small pieces, and put them in a pan together with the sugar, the lemon bark and the cinnamon for about and cover with water, bring to the fire and let cook for about 15 minutes.
Remove from the heat, remove the cinnamon sticks and the lemon rind and pass through the blender to obtain a fine purée.
In another bowl beat the egg together with the cream, then, incorporate the apple and take everything to the fire for a few minutes mixing well.
We already have our apple cream that will give it an Asturian touch; I wanted to go a little further and add another touch with anise and walnuts..
Chop the walnuts (150 g), add a spoonful of sugar and a little bit of anise and mix well.
When decorating the sponge cake, simply spread the apple cream over the top, then the nuts (optional). You can also decorate with strawberries or any red fruit.
As the name implies, it is a divine sponge cake!