Equipment
Ingredients
Angel Food Cake
- 360 g egg whites, room temperature
- 300 g caster sugar
- 130 g cake flour
- 5 g cream of tartar
- 2 g salt
- 15 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 6 g lemon zest, finely grated
Preserved Lemon Curd
- 120 g egg yolks
- 150 g caster sugar
- 30 g preserved lemon, rinsed, pulp and seeds removed, rind only
- 80 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 115 g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
Frosting
- 300 ml heavy cream, cold
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 468 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbohydrates
- 58 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 47 g
- Sodium
- 154 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 14 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 7 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 188 mg
- Potassium
- 216 mg
- Calcium
- 48 mg
- Iron
- 1.4 mg
- Magnesium
- 10 mg
- Phosphorus
- 85 mg
- Zinc
- 0.5 mg
- Vitamin A
- 248 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 9 mg
- Vitamin D
- 1.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.9 mg
- Vitamin K
- 2 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.3 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.15 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.35 mg
- Niacin
- 1.0 mg
- Folate
- 47 mcg
- Water
- 70 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Ensure your tube pan is completely clean, dry, and ungreased.
Sift the cake flour and half of the caster sugar together into a mixing bowl. Repeat the sifting process two more times for maximum aeration.
In a spotlessly clean stand mixer bowl, whip the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt on medium speed until soft, foamy peaks form.
Increase the speed to medium-high and gradually stream in the remaining half of the caster sugar, one tablespoon at a time. Beat until medium-firm, glossy peaks develop.
Gently fold the sifted dry ingredients into the meringue in three additions using a large spatula. During the final addition, fold in the lemon juice and grated lemon zest, being careful not to deflate the batter.
Gently spoon the batter into the ungreased tube pan. Run a butter knife through the batter to release large air pockets. Bake at 175°C (350°F) for 40 minutes.
Immediately invert the tube pan onto its cooling legs or over the neck of a heavy glass bottle. Let the cake cool completely upside down for at least 1.5 hours.
While the cake cools, combine the preserved lemon rind, lemon juice, remaining sugar, and egg yolks in a blender. Blend until entirely smooth and uniform.
Transfer the blended yolk mixture to a saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly until the curd thickens and reaches 75°C (165°F).
Strain the curd immediately through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl. Whisk in the cold cubed butter until completely melted and emulsified. Cover with plastic wrap directly touching the surface and chill until firm.
Once the curd is thoroughly chilled and the cake is cool, whip the heavy cream in a mixing bowl until firm peaks form.
Gently fold exactly half of the chilled preserved lemon curd into the whipped cream to create a stabilized, lightly briny lemon frosting.
Run a thin knife around the edges of the tube pan to release the cooled cake. Using a serrated knife, slice the cake horizontally to create two even layers.
Spread the remaining pure preserved lemon curd evenly over the bottom layer of the cake. Place the top layer on, then frost the entire exterior of the cake with the curd-whipped cream.
Chef's Notes
- Sifting the flour multiple times is non-negotiable for angel food cake. It separates the starch particles, allowing them to fold into the delicate meringue without collapsing the air bubbles.
- Preserved lemons vary heavily in saltiness. Rinse them thoroughly under cold water. We are only using the rind, as the pulp tends to be overly bitter and unpleasantly salty.
- When separating eggs, cold eggs are much easier to separate without breaking the yolk. However, egg whites whip to their maximum volume when allowed to come to room temperature.
- Never tap the spatula on the side of the bowl when folding the cake batter, as the vibration can deflate the hard-earned air in your meringue.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight cake dome to prevent the delicate sponge from absorbing fridge odors and drying out.
Troubleshooting
Cake falls out of the pan while cooling upside down
Cause: The pan was greased or non-stick, preventing the batter from gripping the sides
Fix: Cannot be fixed, serve as a crumbled trifle with the curd and cream
Prevention: Always use an ungreased, bare aluminum or steel tube pan
Egg whites will not whip to firm peaks
Cause: Trace amounts of fat on the bowl, whisk, or yolk in the whites
Fix: Cannot be fixed, discard whites and start over
Prevention: Wipe all bowls and whisks with white vinegar before starting, and separate eggs carefully
Curd looks scrambled or lumpy
Cause: Heat was too high causing the egg proteins to curdle
Fix: Push through a fine mesh strainer to remove cooked egg bits before chilling
Prevention: Cook over medium-low heat and whisk continuously
Cultural Context
Angel food cake is a staple of North American baking, originating in the late 19th century as an economical way to use up excess egg whites left over from making noodle dough or custards. The integration of North African preserved lemon updates this historic dessert with a globally-influenced profile, utilizing a saline, fermented depth to beautifully counteract the notoriously high sugar content required for the meringue base.
