Lemon Thyme Angel Food Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Sift the cake flour, 3/4 cup superfine sugar and the salt onto a piece of parchment paper. Sift the flour mixture a second time onto another piece of parchment; set aside. Beat the egg whites in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until frothy, about 1 minute. Add the cream of tartar and continue beating until soft peaks form, about 4 more minutes. Gradually beat in the remaining 1 cup superfine sugar; increase the speed to high and beat until the egg whites are stiff and glossy, about 7 minutes. Beat in the vanilla, rosemary, thyme and lemon zest.
• Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the flour mixture, 1/4 cup at a time, until fully incorporated with no pockets of dry ingredients. Transfer the batter to an ungreased 10-inch angel food cake pan. Bake until golden and the cake springs back when pressed, 40 to 45 minutes. Invert the cake pan onto a small funnel or bottle neck and let cool completely, at least 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, make the compote: Combine the brown sugar, rum, 1/2 cup water and the rosemary and thyme sprigs in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; simmer, stirring, until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Add the pineapple, return to a gentle simmer and cook until the pineapple is softened and the liquid is syrupy, about 10 minutes. Stir in the vanilla. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate, stirring occasionally, until cool, about 1 hour. Remove the herb sprigs.
• Loosen the edge of the cake with a knife, tap the sides of the pan against the counter and unmold the cake onto a platter. Slice and serve with the compote.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add confectioners' sugar; beat until stiff peaks form. Place pie filling in a bowl; fold in whipped cream., Cut cake into two horizontal layers. Place bottom layer on a serving plate; top with 1 cup lemon mixture. Top with a second cake layer. Frost top and sides of cake with remaining lemon mixture. Chill for 15 minutes or until serving. Refrigerate leftovers.

Steps:

• Cake: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Sift the sifted cake flour with 1/2 cup of the sugar 3 times (this is to aerate the mixture and make it light). Set aside. Whip the egg whites in a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and salt and continue whipping until soft peaks form. With the mixer running, gradually add the remaining cup of sugar and continue whipping until stiff and the sugar is dissolved, about 30 seconds more. Gradually add the sifted flour-sugar mixture and fold into the whites. Lastly fold in the lemon zest and vanilla extract. Pipe the batter into ungreased mini muffin tins. Bake until light golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pans, then run a knife along the edges to loosen them. Remove from the pans and place upside-down on a wire rack set over a sheet pan. Stir the lemon juice and powdered sugar together until smooth, creating a glaze. Pour over each cake until the tops are smoothly coated.
• Confit: Cut a slice off the top and bottom of each lemon to expose the flesh. Cutting from top to bottom and following the contours of the fruit, cut off the peel and white pith in 1-inch-wide strips. Scrape off any pulp adhering to the strips, but leave the pith intact. You now have several 1-inch wide strips of lemon peel and pith. Cut each one into long strips, about 1/4-inch by 3 inches each. Meanwhile, boil a kettleful of water. Pour about a quart of the boiling water into a saucepan, bring to a boil, add all the lemon rind, and boil 30 seconds. Drain in a strainer and rinse under cold running water. Repeat 2 times more, using fresh boiling water each time.
• Combine the 1 cup of sugar and 2 cups of water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the blanched rind and reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer until tender, about 1 hour. Drain in a strainer and let cool 15 minutes until cool enough to handle. Using your fingers, arrange the strips on a wire rack so that they do not touch each other. Let cool. Chop the lemon confit and sprinkle over the tops. Let set 30 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Combine 1/2 cup of sugar with the flour and sift together 4 times. Set aside.
• Place the egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and beat on high speed until the eggs make medium-firm peaks, about 1 minute. With the mixer on medium speed, add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of sugar by sprinkling it over the beaten egg whites. Whisk for a few minutes until thick and shiny. Whisk in the vanilla and lemon zest and continue to whisk until very thick, about 1 more minute. Sift about 1/4 of the flour mixture over the egg whites and fold it into the batter with a rubber spatula. Continue adding the flour by fourths by sifting and folding until it's all incorporated.
• Pour the batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan, smooth the top, and bake it for 35 to 40 minutes, until it springs back to the touch. Remove the cake from the oven and invert the pan on a cooling rack until cool.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325.
• Beat egg whites until frothy; add salt, cream of tartar and lemon oil and vanilla extract. Continue beating until they form stiff but not dry peaks. Using a rubber spatula, gradually fold in the sugar a few tablespoons at a time.
• Using the same rubber spatula, gradually fold in the flour, one quarter at a time. Be sure that you use a true folding motion, gently turning the spatula from the bottom of the bowl to the top, folding in air with each stroke as opposed to beating or stirring. You just went to all that work the whip up the egg whites, don't want to beat them to death.
• Pour batter into an ungreased, 9-inch angel food cake pan (you know the one with the tube in the center, not a bundt pan).
• Bake one hour or until top is golden brown and the cake pulls away from pan sides.
• Remove cake from oven . Cool in the pan ten minutes and then invert pan and let cake stand upside down for an hour or until cooled.
• You might let the cake stand over a plate in case your oven was funky and the cake plops out of the pan prematurely. Hey, it happens.
• While cake is cooling prepare the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together confectioners sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest. Let stand ten minutes before glazing the cake as it thickens a little. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Combine 1/2 cup of sugar with the flour and sift together 4 times. Set aside.
• Place the egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and beat on high speed until the eggs make medium-firm peaks, about 1 minute. With the mixer on medium speed, add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of sugar by sprinkling it over the beaten egg whites. Whisk for a few minutes until thick and shiny. Whisk in the vanilla and lemon zest and continue to whisk until very thick, about 1 more minute. Sift about 1/4 of the flour mixture over the egg whites and fold it into the batter with a rubber spatula. Continue adding the flour by fourths by sifting and folding until it's all incorporated.
• Pour the batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan, smooth the top, and bake it for 35 to 40 minutes, until it springs back to the touch. Remove the cake from the oven and invert the pan on a cooling rack until cool.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with rack in lower third. Butter six (1-cup) molds of a mini angel food cake pan or mini bundt pan. Dust with flour, and tap out excess. Pick 2 teaspoons small sprigs from tops of lemon thyme sprigs, and divide evenly among molds; set aside. Coarsely chop remaining lemon thyme leaves to make tablespoons; whisk chopped lemon thyme with the flour, salt, and lemon zest in a small bowl. Set aside.
• Put butter into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream on medium speed until pale and fluffy, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, about 4 minutes. Add sugar. Mix until pale and fluffy, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, about 3 minutes.
• Mix in vanilla. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition; mix until smooth. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in 3 batches, mixing until just combined after each addition.
• Spoon batter over lemon thyme in prepared molds. Smooth tops using a small rubber spatula. Firmly tap the pan on counter to eliminate any air bubbles. Bake until a cake tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let cakes cool slightly in pan on a wire rack, about 10 minutes. Run a knife around edges of molds to loosen; unmold cakes. Place each cake on a serving plate, and drizzle with about 1 tablespoon syrup. Garnish with lemon thyme sprigs.

Steps:

• Make the cake: Heat the oven to 350 degrees and place a rack in the center.
• Sift flour and 1/3 cup/65 grams granulated sugar into a large bowl.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine egg whites, salt and cream of tartar and beat with the whisk attachment on medium-high speed until medium peaks form, about 3 minutes.
• Gradually add in remaining 1 cup/200 grams granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, and beat until firm, glossy peaks form. Beat in confectioners' sugar, lemon zest, vanilla and lemon extract.
• Sift a quarter of the flour mixture over egg whites and use a rubber spatula to fold until barely combined. Repeat with remaining flour in 3 more additions.
• Scrape into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan, smooth top, and bake until cake is springy and pulls away from the pan, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• Make the curd: In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup/59 milliliters lemon juice and gelatin; set aside to bloom. In a large bowl, lightly beat eggs.
• In a medium bowl, combine granulated sugar, butter, remaining 1/4 cup/59 milliliters fresh lemon juice, the preserved lemon juice, the zest and the salt. Place bowl over a pot of simmering water until warm. Remove from the heat, then pour over the eggs in a thin stream, constantly whisking. Place bowl with the egg and lemon mixture over the simmering water pot and cook, stirring constantly, to 175 degrees, about 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat, stir in gelatin mixture and immediately pour through a fine strainer into a wide bowl set over ice bath, stirring until mixture is cool. Chill for 1 hour.
• Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Fold into the lemon curd and chill for another hour, until cold.
• To serve, unmold the cake. Using a serrated knife, halve the cake crosswise to create 2 layers. Dollop on some of the lemon cream to cover. Top with the cake and dollop on more lemon cream. (Remaining lemon cream will last up to a week in the refrigerator.)

Steps:

• Make the cake: Preheat oven to 325 degrees, with rack in lower third of oven. Sift flour and 1/2 cup sugar into a bowl.
• Whisk whites with a mixer on medium speed until frothy, about 1 minute. Add lemon zest and juice, cream of tartar, vanilla, and salt; continue whisking until soft peaks form, about 2 1/2 minutes. With mixer running, gradually add remaining cup sugar.
• Increase speed to medium-high; continue whisking until firm, not stiff, peaks form, about 7 minutes. Sprinkle whites with 1/3 of the flour-sugar mixture. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold to combine. Sprinkle remaining flour-sugar mixture over whites in 2 additions; gently fold to combine.
• Transfer batter to a 10-inch angel food cake pan with legs. Gently run a knife through the center of the batter to remove any air bubbles. Bake until a tester inserted into center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes.
• Remove pan from oven, and invert onto its cooling legs (if your tube pan doesn't have legs, invert it over the neck of a wine, or similarly shaped, bottle to cool); let cool, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Run a knife around the inner and outer edges of cake to remove. Invert onto a serving platter. (Use a knife to separate cake from bottom of pan.) Let cool on a wire rack. Unfrosted cake can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
• Make the lemon cream: Prepare an ice-water bath. Whisk lemon juice, sugar, flour, and salt in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil; whisk constantly for 1 minute, until it thickens. Transfer to a heatproof bowl set in ice-water bath to cool completely, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, whisk cream and lemon zest with a mixer on medium speed until medium peaks form, about 3 minutes. Gently fold whipped cream into juice mixture in thirds. Refrigerate lemon cream, up to overnight.
• Make the candied lemon-peel flowers: Combine sugar and water in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, using a vegetable peeler, peel 3 lemons to create 6 long strips (at least 5 inches long and about 1/2 inch wide). Remove pith from strips using a paring knife. Cut tops and bottoms off remaining 3 lemons; cut each in half lengthwise. Remove flesh. Cut out 6 flowers from the peels using a 2-inch flower-shaped cookie cutter and remove pith; cut indentations into petals for definition. Punch a hole in the center of each flower using a 1/4-inch plain round piping tip.
• Add lemon-peel strips and flowers to the syrup. Gently simmer until translucent and tender, about 35 minutes. Remove peels from syrup using a slotted spoon, and transfer to a wire rack set over a parchment. Let dry slightly, about 30 minutes.
• Trim strips to 5-inch lengths, and roll each to form centers of flowers; fit into flower holes and let stand on wire rack until slightly dry but still sticky, about 30 minutes.
• Frost cake with lemon cream. Garnish with candied flowers. Serve.