This angel food and custard cake was a Christmas tradition in the Simpson house, served with a candle to celebrate the birth of Jesus (and perhaps for a cousin who had the unfortunate post-Christmas birthday). Light and airy, delicate in flavour and not too sweet, this was a welcomed dessert after a big holiday meal, but so good you may eat more than your fair share.
Instructions
1½ cups egg whites (about 10 to 12), at room temperature
1½ cups sugar
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
To make the cake, add the egg whites to a stand mixer or into a mixing bowl using a hand mixer and whip the eggs until they are stiff. Add the salt and cream of tartar. Slowly add one cup of sugar. Mix the remaining half cup of sugar with the flour and slowly add to the egg whites. Add the vanilla extract and finish mixing.
Preheat the oven to 325 F.
Pour the batter into an ungreased 9-inch x 13-inch baking dish (or you can use two loaf pans) and bake for approximately 30 minutes or until the top of the cake is starting to brown very lightly. Remove the cake from the oven and let cook in the baking dish. Reserve.
Custard
3 eggs, separated (see note below)
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1 envelope gelatin, unflavoured
¼ cup water
250 mL (1 cup) whipping cream
Note: Consuming raw or undercooked eggs risks potential food-borne illnesses, especially for those with certain health conditions. If this is a concern, you can substitute with 3 tablespoons of pasteurized egg whites.
In a bowl, mix the water and gelatin together. In a small pot add the milk and bloomed gelatin and cook over medium- low heat until you can see steam rising from the milk. Remove from the heat.
In a double boiler, add about an inch of water and place over medium-low heat and bring to a simmer. Add the egg yolks and sugar to the bowl and whisk together. Slowly add in the hot milk mixture, a little a time to temper the eggs, whisk- ing constantly. Place the bowl over the pot of simmering water and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring often to avoid clumping. The custard should thicken to a point that it coats the back of a wooden spoon. Remove and let cool to room temperature.
Once cooled, add the egg whites (or pasturized egg whites) to a mixing bowl and whisk until stiff. Gently fold the egg whites into the custard.
Rip the angel food cake into small walnut-size pieces and place into a rectangular baking dish (or back into the 9x13-inch dish if you already used). Pour the custard over the cake. Whip the container of whipping cream to stiff peaks and spread over the top of the cake and custard. Refrigerate for a least several hours or overnight.
