Coconut Angel Food Cake
A light and fluffy coconut cloud of a cake, gently flavoured with coconut extract. Topped with coconut whipped cream and sweetened coconut flakes.
Equipment
- 1 Mold
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Stand mixer
- 1 Knife To eliminate air pockets trapped in the dough.
- 1 Can of beans To balance the center of the mold
Ingredients
FOR THE COCONUT ANGEL FOOD CAKE
- 100 g ⅘ cup Plain or all-purpose flour
- 25g 2½ tbsp Cornflour or cornstarch
- 300 g 1½ cups Caster sugar (US granulated sugar), separated
- 12 Units Large egg whites At room temperature
- 1½ tbsp Cream of tartar
- 1⁄4 tbsp Salt
- ½ tbsp Vanilla extract
- 1½ tbsp Coconut extract
FOR THE COCONUT WHIPPED CREAM
- 350 ml 1½ cups Double or heavy cream
- 35g ¼ cup Icing sugar (US powdered sugar)
- ½ tbsp Vanilla extract
- 1½ tbsp Coconut extract
- 200 g 7oz Sweetened coconut flakes
Instructions
PREPARATION FOR THE COCONUT ANGEL FOOD CAKE
- Preheat the oven to 190 °C / 375 °F (170 °C fan) and make sure you have an angel food cake tin ready to use. Do not grease or line the tin, as the cake batter will need to grip onto the sides of the cake in order to rise up.
- Sift the flour, cornflour, and half of the caster sugar (150g or ¾ cup) into a medium bowl and set aside.
- Place the egg whites (making sure there are no yokes at all), cream of tartar and salt into the bowl of your stand mixer (or a large bowl if using a hand-held mixer) and whip using the balloon whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Add the remaining caster sugar (150g or ¾ cup) and continue to whip until stiff peaks form.
- With your mixer on a low speed, add the sifted flour mixture to the egg whites, two tablespoons at a time. Occasionally stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is well mixed together. Once all the flour has been added, pour in the vanilla and coconut extracts and beat on low again for 30 seconds.
- Spoon the batter into the ungreased angel food cake tin, and then swirl through with a knife to get rid of any trapped air pockets in the batter. Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until the top of the cake feels springy to the touch. If there are any cracks on the top of the cake, feel inside and if it feels sticky then it is not quite ready. You do not want to undertake an angel food cake, or you run the risk of it sinking.
- The cake needs to cool. Completely inside the tin, but it is best to tip the cake upside down during the cooling process to speed things up. If your angel food cake tin had little feet sticking up on the top, you can just turn the cake upside down and rest it on the feet to cool. Alternatively, use a can of beans or something similar to balance the middle of the tin on when upside down. Once the cake is completely cool, use a knife to gently free the edges (only at the top) from the side of the tin and from the middle tube. Turn the cake upside down and give the tin a smack and it should come out. Use a knife to free the bottom of the cake tin from the cake and remove gently.
FOR THE COCONUT WHIPPED CREAM
- Place the cream and icing sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer (or a large bowl if using a hand-held mixer) and whip using the balloon attachment until stiff peaks form. Add the vanilla and coconut extracts and whip through.
- Carefully spread the cream onto the outside and down the middle of the cake, trying not to get too many crumbs in the cream. I use a small offset spatula for this, but a round knife will work too. Gently press the sweetened coconut flakes onto the outside of the cake until the whole thing is covered.
Video
Notes
The plain angel food cake will stay fresh for 2–3 days if stored in an airtight container somewhere cool, or up to 7 days if stored in the fridge (wrap with cling film or foil to keep from drying out). Once the cake has been covered in cream, if you will need to be stored in the fridge, and should keep for 2–3 days (keep covered).