Lemon Angel Cake Recipe

This recipe is loosely based on the classic American Angel Food Cake which itself is based on the classic French method of using beaten egg whites as a raising agent for cakes.

As long as your egg whites are not over-beaten, what you end up is a wonderfully light cake with a tangy bite due to the lemons.

Lemon Angel Cake

Serves: 10

Ingredients:

4 eggs, separated
125g (4 1/2 oz) golden caster sugar
finely-grated zest of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp salt
75g (2 3/4 oz) self-raising flour, sifted

For the Icing:

80g (3 oz) icing sugar, sifted
1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Method:

Beat together the egg yolks, half the sugar, the lemon zest and the salt in a bowl until thick and pale.

In a separate bowl (this must be completely grease free), beat the egg whites until they stand in stiff peaks. Gradually whisk in the remaining sugar until the whites are stiff and glossy.

Carefully fold the flour into the egg white mixture in batches, followed by the egg yolk mix. Spoon this batter into a greased and lined 23cm (9 in) diameter ring mould (bundt pan). Transfer to an oven pre-heated to 170ºC (Gas Mark 5) and bake for between 20 and 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake emerges cleanly.

Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then carefully loosen around the cake with a round-ended flat-bladed knife. Invert onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

For the icing (frosting) mix together the icing sugar and the lemon juice and pour this over the cake so that it drips down the sides.

For a colourful springtime table centrepiece top the cake with edible flowers like violets and primroses. At other times you can use candied violets, candied primroses and candied heartsease or even candied rose petals.