The gift of cake

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

When Charlotte asked me what kind of cake I’d like for my birthday, it didn’t really require much thought.

It was time to bring back the Lemon-Orange Citrus Angel Cake. A family recipe, she first baked it — and subsequently won my heart — a few years back. Since then, Charlotte has stopped eating most dairy so this time around, modified the simple recipe, using margarine instead of butter. How did it taste? As usual, amazing.

Cake ingredients:
1 1/4 cup egg whites
1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup cake flour
4 egg yokes
1 tbs grated orange peel
2 tsp grated lemon peel

Cake cooking steps:
(1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
(2) Grate orange and lemon peel.

(3) In large bowl, mix egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt. Beat until soft peaks form.

(4) Slowly add sugar, beating at high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form.

(5) Reduce speed to low and beat in flower until just mixed.

(6) In another large bowl at high speed, beat yolks until thick and lemon colored.

(7) Then, mix in half of egg white mixture, orange, and lemon peel. Mix in second half.

(8) In 10 inch circular pan (like that used for angel food cake), dish in heaping tablespoons of both mixtures in to form a checker pattern.

(9) Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely.

Frosting ingredients:
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup butter (softened)
3 egg yokes
1/8 tsp salt
2 tbs grated orange peel
4 tsp grated lemon peel

(10) In large mixing bowl, beat together on medium speed beat all ingredients until fluffy.
(11) Ice cake, slice and inhale.