Photograph byGrant Cornett Food Styling by Maggie Ruggiero Prop Styling by Noemi Bonazzi
Final Fantasy: Daydream Desserts
Bee Pollen and Honey Angel Food Cake
Desserts from Issue 13 - Summer 2018 – The Getaway issue
Touched by an angel.
Gather Journal
Bee Pollen and Honey Angel Food Cake
It is an abundance of whipped egg whites that gives angel food cake its light and airy consistency. In the late 1800s, when the recipe originated, that meant a lot of elbow grease and led to innovations like the egg-beater. Our version, which gets much of its sweetness from honey and its gold-flecked appearance from bee pollen, is skirted with another fantasy featherweight confection created around the same time: cotton candy.
It is an abundance of whipped egg whites that gives angel food cake its light and airy consistency. In the late 1800s, when the recipe originated, that meant a lot of elbow grease and led to innovations like the egg-beater. Our version, which gets much of its sweetness from honey and its gold-flecked appearance from bee pollen, is skirted with another fantasy featherweight confection created around the same time: cotton candy.
makes 1 10-inch cake
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 Tbsp confectioners’ sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar, divided
- scant ½ tsp salt
- 1½ cups egg whites (about 11 large), at room temperature
- 1 tsp cream of tartar
- ¾ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp almond extract
- ¼ cup honey
- 3 Tbsp bee pollen
- cotton candy (for serving, because why not?)
-
1
Adjust rack to lower third of oven and preheat to 350°F. Fit a parchment round inside a 10-inch tube pan with legs. Do not grease pan or parchment. (If your pan does not have legs, you’ll have to carefully invert pan onto the neck of a sturdy bottle to cool the cake.)
-
2 Sift together flour, confectioners’ sugar, ½ cup granulated sugar, and salt onto a large piece of parchment.
-
3
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, and extracts at medium speed until soft peaks form, 2-3 minutes. With mixer running, gradually add remaining ½ cup granulated sugar, followed by honey, until firm, but not-yet-stiff peaks form, 2-3 minutes more.
-
4
Remove bowl from mixer and gently fold in bee pollen. Funnel the parchment and pour ⅓ of flour mixture over egg whites. Gently fold to combine. Repeat, gently folding in remaining flour in 2 more additions.
-
5
Spread batter evenly into lined pan. Bake until top is golden and a cake tester comes out clean, 45-50 minutes. Immediately invert pan onto its legs and let sit upside down until completely cooled, at least 1 hour.
