Peppermint gives angel food cake Christmas flair
This angel food cake is dressed up for winter with a peppermint-spiked glaze and shower of crushed candy canes.
It’s so easy to reach for a box of mix when the mood for angel food cake strikes and you could absolutely top a boxed angel food cake with peppermint glaze, but you’ll be greatly rewarded for the “eggstra” effort of making it from scratch.
Especially if you have a dozen or so egg whites leftover from making eggnog.
Peppermint Angel Food Cake
12 egg whites, at room temperature (about 1 ½ cups)
1 ½ teaspoons cream of tartar
¼ teaspoon fine salt
1 cup granulated sugar ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
1 cup cake flour or allpurpose flour
1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar, divided use
1 ½ tablespoons melted butter
1 tablespoon milk Splash peppermint extract
Crushed candy canes or peppermint candies
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on low speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and salt; increase speed to medium-high and beat until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. With the mixer running, slowly and steadily add the granulated sugar and then add the vanilla and almond extracts, scrape the sides of the bowl, and continue beating on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.
Turn off the mixer. Sift the flour and ¾ cup of the confectioners’ sugar over the egg white mixture, then gently fold them in using a rubber spatula. Spoon batter into a 10-inch tube pan with a removable bottom. Smooth the top with the rubber spatula.
Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until cake is golden-brown and springy.
Invert the pan on a wire rack and let the cake cool (upside-down) in the pan for about an hour.
To remove the cake, invert the pan right-side-up and carefully run a thin knife around the edges of the cake. Remove the cake and tube insert from the pan, then use the knife to release the cake from the bottom of the insert.
In a small bowl, combine remaining confectioners’ sugar, the melted butter, 1 tablespoon of milk and peppermint extract to make a glaze. Drizzle glaze over cake. Sprinkle with crushed candies.
Makes 1 (10-inch) cake.