There are things that I have learned that I do as a blogger that normal people don’t. For example, baking yourself a cake and then trying to figure out if it’s more birthday, spring or Easter appropriate for the blog. You see April is my birthday month (though my birthday falls at the very end of the month) and this year it falls on one of the solar eclipses (perhaps it might mean something), Easter too tends to bounce around the calendar every year, so I fell into the blogging dilemma of when to make the cake and when to share it on the blog. The only thing I was surely certain of, was making it! Last year I made myself chocolate butter cookies but this year I wanted a big fat cake full of berries, I should rephrase that, I mean’t to say LOADED with berries!
I love angel food cakes because they are so airy and light yet so soft and spongy. I zested a couple of green limes into the batter and tossed in some ground green cardamom. Instead of a frosting, I slapped the cake layers with an extra generous amount of lightly sweetened Greek yogurt and stuffed the cake with fresh strawberries and blueberries.
This is not a very sweet cake but when you taste the yogurt and the cake together, the yogurt brings out the sweetness of the cake and the fresh flavors of the lime, cardamom and berries. I’m very happy with this cake, it’s a little less guilt-free and makes deliciously light dessert. Needless to say, to balance things out, I cut myself a huge fat chunk and ate devoured it! So here’s to happy spring, birthdays, Easter and celebrations of all sorts and for that matter any reason.
I adapted the angel food cake recipe from Great Cakes by Carole Walter.
Note: When sifting flour, I recommend taking out a leveled cup of the flour, then sifting it and remeasuring the sifted flour. You can store the extra bit that’s left behind. Also, with the strawberries and blueberries, you can use less and I indeed did have fruit left behind after I put the cake together. Feel free to play around with the amounts of the berries. You might notice, that I’ve used cornstarch/cornflour here to make my own cake flour and yes, this kitchen hack indeed does work!
These are some of the delicious and beautiful spring recipes and blogs that I’m definitely gearing up to try out from my fellow bloggers;
- Sini of My Blue and White Kitchen made her version of Finnish Raspberry Meade that looks and sounds absolutely gorgeous. I might need a few pitchers, just saying!
- I came across a new blog called Kiss My Spatula and I’ve fallen in love with the rich and colorful photography.
- The talented duo, Alex and Sonja at A Couple Cooks made these Ricotta Scrambled Egg and Asparagus Tacos that looks perfect for a spring brunch.
- One of my favorite inspirational bloggers, Linda of The Tart Tart made some amazing Black Sesame Macarons that I really, really want to taste!
- Imen has a Rhubarb and Rosemary Syllabub with Poitin up on the Farmette. It’s no secret that I love farms and I’m adore the photographs she shares of her family farm on Instagram because it reminds me of M’s parents’ farm in Virginia.
berry, lime and cardamom spring cake
yields: 6-8 servings / one 10 inch diameter angel food cake
ingredients
32 ounces plain non-fat/ low-fat greek yogurt
1 cup (4 1/2 ounces) sifted flour
2 tablespoons cornflour/cornstarch
1 1/2 cups fine sugar
1 1/2 cups (15 3/4 ounces) 12 egg whites, at room temperature
1 tablespoon warm water
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons madagascar bourbon vanilla extract
3 limes
1/4 teaspoon green cardamom, freshly ground
1/4 cup (1 1/4 ounces) confectioners sugar
32 ounces strawberries, rinsed, drained, hulled and sliced in half
6 ounces blueberries, rinsed and drained
1. Place the greek yogurt in a colander or sieve pre lined with a piece of clean cheese cloth or a kitchen towel over a large bowl. Allow the yogurt to drain in the refrigerator for at least 2 to 3 hours and discard any whey the collects in the bowl. Reserve the yogurt until ready to use.
2. Place a wire rack in the lower-third of the oven and preheat to 375F. Take a 10 inch diameter angel food pan, trace and cut out a circle of parchment paper to line the base of the pan. There is no need to grease the pan. Keep the prepared pan aside until ready.
3. Sift the pre-sifted flour, cornflour and 1/2 cup of the sugar three times on to a sheet of parchment paper and keep aside.
4. Place the egg whites and warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer and using the whisk attachment beat on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes or until the eggs get frothy. Stop the mixer and add the cream of tartar, salt, and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla extract. Whisk until the mixture begins to form soft peaks (ripples should form in the foam at this stage). At this stage, add the freshly grated zest of two limes and the ground cardamom and whisk for another minute . Add 1 cup of the sugar, two tablespoons at a time from the side of the bowl and continue to whisk for about 2 minutes in total time. Remove the bowl from the mixer and transfer any of the white meringue mixture and lime zest bits that might have collected onto the whisk, back into the bowl.
5. Sift 1/3 of the sifted dry ingredients from step 2 onto the egg whites and using a large wire whisk and carefully fold the dry ingredients into the meringue. Do not overmix or stir the batter as it will deflate.
6. Using a rubber spatula, carefully transfer and push the batter into the prepared cake pan. Gently press the cake batter with a clean tablespoon and flatten the top surface. Finally, run a knife along the edges of the pan in a circle to remove any trapped air bubbles and once again smoothen the surface with the tablespoon.
7. Place the pan in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until the center of the cake is soft and springy to touch and becomes golden brown. Avoid over baking the cake or it will deflate. Spray a wire rack with a little non stick spray and then once the cake is done, immediately invert the cake onto the wire rack. Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan. Once the cake has cooled, run a sharp knife along the edges of the pan and around the inner tube to loosen it. Transfer the cake on to a cake rack and remove the pan. Peel and discard the parchment paper from the top of the cake and discard.
8. To prepare the yogurt “frosting”, place the drained yogurt in a large mixing bowl, add the remaining 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and the confectioners sugar. Whisk the yogurt until the sugar is completely blended.
9. To assemble the cake: Slice the cake in half using a sharp serrated bread knife. Remove the upper layer and keep aside. Spread a generous 1/2 cup of the yogurt on the lower half and place the sliced strawberries with the bottom surface onto the yogurt. Scatter some of the blueberries in the space between the yogurt. Layer the berries with another generous 1/2 cup of the yogurt and place and align the upper half of the angel cake on top. Layer the top of the cake with a generous amount 1/2 cup of the yogurt and fill the hollow center of the cake with the rest of the yogurt. Layer the top of the cake with some of the strawberries and blueberries and fill the hollow center with the rest of the fruit as desired. Just before serving the cake zest the last lime over the cake. Store the cake in the refrigerator. This cake is best eaten the day it is prepared but you can make the angel cake a day in advance and assemble the cake the following day.
34 Responses
Stunning, Nik!! And lime and cardamom is such an interesting flavor combination — I love it. This is beautiful.
lime and cardamone to enhance the cake and yogourt seems to be very good!
Such beautiful cake, I love all the berries and lime! I share a similar dilemma with my birthday cake as it's on Christmas Day so I every year I make a huge cake and call it my Christmas birthday cake. 🙂
I love everything about this cake: the berry overload, the cardamom, it not beeing too sweet (to be honest, I like buttercream in macarons only), and the Greek yogurt. A cake for every occasion, if you ask me. Also, stunning pictures as always!
Hope you have a great spring week,
Sini
Lovely fresh berry topping!
i like the idea of big fat cake and yogurt + berries…classic for summer 🙂 Happy early birthday.
i say any reason to have cake is a good reason!
what are you going to do with all those yolks now? 🙂
Cardamom and anything is amazing, cardamom and this cake is downright gorgeous. I can think of no better birthday cake.
Oh my! This is just so stunning.. Love the Greek yogurt frosting..
I attempted a layered angel food cake for Sonja's birthday and it (literally) flopped. This looks great! and thanks for the link!
wow – beautiful as always nik! greek yoghurt is such a refreshing frosting x
Beautiful pictures, as always! And the cake looks absolutely stunning 🙂
This cake is quite a spring beauty! I'm sure the season is proud to have such a toothsome representation. 😀
Food blogging does indeed have its perks (impromptu cakes, especially!).
Lovely cake, beautiful presentation. Happy Birthday!!!
lovely combo Nik! And you deserve a big fat cake <3
Happy bitprthday!! U got me when you said not too sweet, am always looking for a cake not too sweet, this fits perfectas I love love love berries. Am baking this v soon…now can I substitute cream of tartar with sth ??
you are much better at this bloggin planning business than i am… kudos. happy birthday, and do make a wish to move to SF!
Thanks, Cynthia!
Thank you.
That sounds superb, Julia! Also, I'm jealous you get to be a Christmas baby, I've always wanted to be an Easter baby.
Thank you Sini, you are always so kind.
Thank you!
Thank you!
LOL, the yolks, well…. they became lemon curd for a friend that I owed a thank you gift.
Thank you so much, Maria!
Thanks, Erika!
You are most welcome, Alex!
Thanks, Trisha!
Thank you so much!
Thank you, friend. Food blogger problems can be perks sometimes for us 😉
Thank you, Cheri!
Thank you, Kulsum!
Hi Simi, thank you for the wishes. You might be able to substitute cream of tartar with other ingredients, here are some links that might be helpful. I have not tried them so I am not sure if they work for this.
http://frugalliving.about.com/od/makeyourowningredients/qt/Cream-Of-Tartar-Substitute.htm
America's test kitchen has some suggestions too in their baking cook book.
Phi, thank you so much! No I am terrible at pre planning, I need a diary and maybe 4 of me.