Café Au Lait Angel Food Cake

Description

Source: Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2004 - Cooking Light Magazine

The custard, a versatile dessert sauce that's also great with fresh fruit, makes use of some of the extra egg yolks. For a fitting garnish, arrange a few chocolate-covered coffee beans around the cake.

Ingredients

• 1 cup sifted cake flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons instant espresso granules or instant coffee granules
• 2 tablespoons hot water
• 12 large egg whites
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups 2% reduced-fat milk, divided
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 3 tablespoons Frangelico
• 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts, toasted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. To prepare cake, combine flour, 3/4 cup sugar, and cinnamon, stirring with a whisk; set aside.
3. Combine espresso and hot water, stirring until espresso dissolves; set aside.
4. Place egg whites in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until foamy.
5. Add cream of tartar and salt; beat until soft peaks form.
6. Add 3/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating until stiff peaks form.
7. Beat in espresso mixture and vanilla extract.
8. Sift 1/4 cup flour mixture over egg white mixture; fold in.
9. Repeat with remaining flour mixture, 1/4 cup at a time.
10. Spoon batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan, spreading evenly.
11. Break air pockets by cutting through batter with a knife.
12. Bake at 350° for 50 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched.
13. Invert pan; cool completely.
14. Loosen cake from sides of pan using a narrow metal spatula.
15. Invert cake onto a plate.
16. To prepare sauce, place egg yolks in a large bowl; set aside.
17. Combine 1/2 cup sugar, cornstarch, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan.
18. Gradually add 1/2 cup milk, stirring with a whisk until smooth.
19. Stir in remaining milk.
20. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into milk mixture; add bean to mixture.
21. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
22. Remove from heat; gradually add hot milk mixture to egg yolks, stirring constantly with a whisk.
23. Return milk mixture to pan.
24. Cook mixture over medium heat until thick and bubbly (about 4 minutes), sitting constantly.
25. Remove from heat.
26. Spoon milk mixture into a bowl; place bowl in a large ice-filled bowl 10 minutes or until milk mixture comes to room temperature stirring occasionally.
27. Remove bowl from ice; stir in liqueur.
28. Cover and chill completely.
29. Remove and discard vanilla bean.
30. Serve angel food cake with sauce, and sprinkle with toasted hazelnuts.

Yield: 12 Servings (serving size: 1 cake slice, about 3 tablespoons sauce, and 2 teaspoons hazelnuts)