posted by Lisa UK 08-22-101 10:02 AM
Chocolate Espresso Angel Food Cakes
Recipe By : Ron West [ronwest@bigfoot.com]
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder -- plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsps instant espresso coffee powder
1 pinch ground cinnamon -- optional
1/4 c boiling water
2 tsps pure vanilla extract
1 tsp Cognac
1 c cake flour -- sifted
1/4 tsp salt
1 3/4 c granulated sugar
16 lg egg whites -- room temperature
2 tsps cream of tartar
In this recipe, based on Rose Levy Beranbaum's almost foolproof version, the cake's sweetness is tempered by a powerful dose of cocoa powder. The chocolate flavor is boosted by other slightly bitter and aromatic components - espresso, vanilla and Cognac.
If you don't have the 1-cup jumbo-muffin pans called for below, you can bake the batter in an angel food cake pan. Bake the cake for about 50 minutes and remember to cool it upside down.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine the cocoa, espresso powder and cinnamon. Gradually whisk in the boiling water to make a paste. Blend in the vanilla and Cognac; cover. In another bowl, combine the flour and salt with 3/4 cup of the sugar. Stir well.
In a standing electric mixer, beat the egg whites at high speed until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Still beating, drizzle in the remaining 1 cup of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
Remove the bowl from the mixer. Sift about 1/4 cup of the flour mixture over the whites and fold in using a large balloon whisk. Continue folding in the flour mixture, 1/4 cup at a time.
Gently whisk 1 cup of the batter into the cocoa paste to lighten it. Fold in the remaining batter with a large rubber spatula. Pour the batter into 2 jumbo-muffin pans. Run a knife through the batter several times to remove any air pockets.
Bake on the lowest shelf in oven for 30 minutes, or until the cakes spring back when pressed and a tester inserted in centers comes out clean. [Once the cakes are placed in the preheated oven, DO NOT open the oven door for 30 minutes. If you do, the cakes will fall!]
Position 4 inverted mugs to hold each of the muffin pans upside down with the cakes suspended above the counter. Let cool thoroughly. Run a knife around each cake to release it, then turn the cakes out of muffin pans.