LEMON AND VANILLA BEAN ANGEL FOOD LOAF CAKE

Serves: 12

2/3 cup (160 mL) organic sugar 1/2 vanilla bean, grains scraped from pod

2 tsp (10 mL) lemon zest, finely grated

1/2 cup (125 mL) all-purpose flour

1 cup egg whites, from approximately 7-8 eggs

1/4 tsp (1 mL) table salt

3/4 tsp (4 mL) cream of tartar Glaze (optional):

1/4 cup (60 mL) nonfat plain Greek yogurt

1 tsp (5 mL) lemon zest

2 tbsp (30 mL) lemon juice 1/4 cup (60 mL) organic powdered sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F (160 C) or 310 F (150 C) if using convection heat).

2. Place the sugar, zest and vanilla bean in a dry blender and pulse until well-blended and sugar is fine and fluffy. Pour about half the sugar into a small bowl and set aside. Add the flour to the remaining sugar in the blender and pulse again a few times to create a fine flour mixture. Pour into a small bowl and set aside.

3. In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat egg whites, salt and cream of tartar on medium speed just until frothy. While mixing, carefully add the fine sugar (without the flour) to the egg whites, a tablespoon at a time.

4. Continue beating the eggs until soft peaks form. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer, place a sifter or sieve over the bowl and sift in half the flour and sugar mixture, and fold gently five or six times with a spatula.

5. Sift remaining flour mixture and fold until no flour streaks remain. Scrape batter into a ungreased loaf pan. Bake 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven and place the loaf pan upside down, resting on two cans on the counter to cool (upside down, not touching the counter) completely.

6. Once cooled, remove the cake. Whisk the glaze ingredients in a small bowl and drizzle on the cake when serving, if desired.