Heavenly Angel Food Cake

By XrayKim

Light, fresh and lemony angel food cake with frosting is perfect for a bridal shower with the gum drop roses and fresh mint garnish.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups egg whites
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 cups confectioners' sugar
• GARNISHES
• Gumdrop rose petals
• Fresh mint leaves

Details

Servings 15
Preparation time 20mins
Cooking time 35mins
Adapted from myrecipes.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 375°. Line bottom and sides of a 13- x 9-inch pan with aluminum foil, allowing 2 to 3 inches to extend over sides of pan. Do not grease pan or foil.

Sift together first 3 ingredients.

Beat egg whites and cream of tartar at high speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until stiff peaks form. Gradually fold in sugar mixture, 1/3 cup at a time, folding just until blended after each addition. Fold in vanilla and lemon juice. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Pan will be very full. The batter will reach almost to the top of the pan.

Bake at 375° on an oven rack one-third up from bottom of oven 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Invert cake onto a lightly greased wire rack; let cool, with pan over cake, 1 hour or until completely cool.

While cake is baking, make the lemon cream cheese frosting.

Beat the cream cheese, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, butter, lemon rind and vanilla together until smooth and fluffy. Add confectioners' sugar in 2 additions. Beat until creamy. Add more icing sugar as needed to achieve desired consistency.

When cake is entirely cool, remove pan; peel foil off cake. Transfer cake to a serving platter. Spread Lemon-Cream Cheese Frosting evenly over top of cake. Garnish with gumdrop rose petals and fresh mint leaves.