Blood Orange Chocolate Chip Angel Food Cake
When I was a child, quite frequently I would accompany my Dad to the market to gather the ingredients for that night’s supper. During the months when strawberries were in season, a tower of pristine Angel Food cakes would be perched above the fresh berries. I vividly remember staring up at those cakes and dreaming of taking one home for dessert. It is likely there was one in our cart upon leaving the store since convincing my Dad to give into my pleadings for sweets wasn’t all that difficult.
During my childhood, there was never a shortage of home baked sweets in our house. Both of my parents were great bakers and for my father in particular, baking became his hobby, therapy, and his escape from a life that at times could be quite demanding. Most Sunday evening meals were finished off with a cake, usually in the form of a bundt. Birthdays warranted layer cakes, heavily slathered with buttercream frosting. Angel Food rarely made an appearance, and when it did, I remember it being a store-bought cake. I have no good explanation for why that was, perhaps with so many mouths to feed and money being tight, wasting all the yolks not needed for the cake just wasn’t practical. Or, just maybe, my deep desire to bring home one of the cellophane rapped variety from the market has muddied my memories.
There is something so enticing about the ethereal, delicate crumb of Angel Food cake. A medley of taste sensations appear with each billowy bite. Notes of marshmallow and cotton candy intermix with the sponge-like nature of the cake. Although I can single-handedly wipe out half a cake in one sitting, a more civilized approach is to devour a single slice accompanied by fresh berries and whipped cream. In my version here, I have dolled up this angel of a cake with the flavor of blood orange and a touch of orange flavored bittersweet chocolate. In lieu of berries, a dizzle of blood orange sauce is spooned over each slice.
I am not one to count calories and fat when it comes to sweets. My approach is to eat what I want, but in moderation. (Forget what I told you above about eating half a cake in one sitting.) Angel Food cake might be a good choice for those with certain dietary restrictions since it contains virtually no fat and a third of the calories of chocolate cake. With the added flavors of citrus and chocolate in my version here, I promise you will feel happily satisfied after eating just one slice.
Who of us can resist the delicate crumb and heavenly sweetness of Angel Food cake? If you answered ‘not me’ to this question, then you will be delighted with my version where citrus and chocolate bump up the flavors of this classic cake.
Blood Orange Chocolate Chip Angel Food Cake
1 3/4 cups superfine sugar, divided
1 cup cake flour, sifted
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 egg whites, at room temperature
1/3 cup Blood Orange juice, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
2 teaspoons Blood Orange zest, from about 2 Blood Oranges
2 ounces Lindt Excellence Intense Orange Dark Chocolate*, finely grated
Preheat oven to 350˚F. Have ready an ungreased tube pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup of sugar, the cake flour, and salt.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, at medium speed, use the whisk attachment to thoroughly combine the egg whites, blood orange juice, and cream of tartar. With the mixer running, slowly add the remaining 1 cup of sugar, continuing to beat until the mixture holds medium peaks. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Sprinkle the zest and half of the reserved flour and sugar mixture over the egg whites and fold it in using a large rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Fold in the remaining flour and sugar mixture until almost completely incorporated. Sprinkle the grated chocolate overtop and fold it in gently, but completely.
Gently pour the batter into the tube pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a cake tester or wooden skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake upside-down on a cooling rack until the pan feels slightly warm to the touch before removing the cake from the pan. Drizzle slices of the cake with Blood Orange Sauce.
* If Lindt Excellence Intense Orange Dark Chocolate is not available, substitute plain bittersweet chocolate.
Notes: Separating the yolks and whites of eggs is much easier if the eggs are cold. Plan on making custard or pastry cream with all those lovely yolks leftover when making this cake. Superfine sugar is available at most markets. To make your own, process granulated sugar in a food processor for approximately 1 minute.
Blood Orange Sauce
1 cup Blood Orange juice
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon Blood Orange zest
Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until thickened and bubbly. Strain the sauce into a bowl and cool to room temperature. Use immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Yield: 10 to 12 servings
I`ve always wanted to make angel food cake at home! I love how light angel food cakes are. But, like you`ve mention, I don`t want to waste all those egg yolks. But, I suppose it`s a really good excuse to make some delicious ice cream. 🙂
In testing this recipe, I had A LOT of extra egg yolks. A dozen yolks sit in my refrigerator just waiting to be put to some creative use right now. Yes, I think I’ll make ice cream today.
Light, fluffy, with hints of orange, sweetness of chocolate….it’s a must make cake!
In truth, this cake (or half a cake) was given to my son, intended for him to share with his girlfriend and family. As he accidentally left it on the kitchen counter, it never made it to its intended destination.
Note that the cake came home without the syrupy beautiful sauce that Mary’s post shows – much to my chagrin – but it tasted fabulous even without.
Another delicious creation cooked up by the creative MW.
The two of you really do need to find better hiding places in your house for my baked goods. 🙂 I’m flattered that they are in such great demand. You and Dylan are two of my biggest fans and two mouths I love to feed. XX
Oh my gosh, this looks so incredible! I’m a big fan of angel food cake, but I can certainly say I’ve never had one with an orange/chocolate flavor. I think that needs to change. This looks divine!
Thanks Alyssa for your kind words. I think you will find that blood orange and bittersweet chocolate is a match made in heaven.
Oh Mary! What an ethereal pairing of chocolate and orange! I don’t think I could limit myself to one slice either! A most splendid recipe.
I struggle to behave when there is angel food cake within reach. I’m working on it!
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