Five-Spice Angel Food Cake With Orange Crème Anglaise
Recipe Details
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour and 10 minutes
- Servings: 10
- Yield: 1 ten-inch cake
Description:
Elevate your dessert game with this exquisite Five-Spice Angel Food Cake paired with a luscious Orange Crème Anglaise. Infused with delicate hints of spice and citrus, this dessert is a perfect balance of flavors and textures, making it a delightful treat for any occasion. Plus, you can prepare the cake in advance, allowing you to focus on other aspects of your meal without sacrificing taste or quality.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup cake flour
- 1 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 10 large egg whites
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup half-and-half
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- Peel of 1 orange
- 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier or Cointreau liqueur
- Additional liqueur for serving (optional)
Instructions:
-
Prepare the Cake:
- In a bowl, sift together the cake flour, Chinese five spice powder, and kosher salt. Sift the mixture a second time to ensure a smooth texture.
- Using an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, vanilla extract, and almond extract at medium speed until soft peaks form.
- Gradually add the granulated sugar, beating until just before stiff peaks form. The egg white mixture should be glossy and smooth, so be careful not to overbeat.
- Gently fold half of the flour mixture into the egg white mixture using a rubber spatula. Then fold in the remaining flour mixture, being careful not to overwork the batter.
- Pour the batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan and place it on the middle oven rack.
- Bake at 350°F for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
-
Prepare the Crème Anglaise:
- While the cake is baking, prepare the crème anglaise. In a 2-quart pan over medium-high heat, combine the half-and-half, granulated sugar, and orange peel.
- Bring the mixture to a scald (just below boiling), then remove it from the heat and let the flavors steep for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, return the pan to heat and reheat the mixture to scalding.
-
Finish the Cake:
- Once the cake is baked, remove it from the oven and let it stand for a few minutes before inverting it onto a rack to cool. Do not remove the cake from the pan yet.
- While the cake is cooling, prepare the crème anglaise. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks.
- Add a ladle full of the scalded cream mixture to the yolks to temper them, whisking immediately to prevent scrambling.
- With the heat at medium, add the warmed yolks to the pan, whisking constantly until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Be careful not to let the mixture boil.
- Immediately pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Set the bowl into a larger bowl of ice water and allow it to cool.
- Once the crème anglaise is cold, stir in the Grand Marnier or Cointreau liqueur.
-
Serve:
- When the cake is completely cool, turn the pan over and gently run a knife around the edges to loosen the cake. Turn the cake out onto a serving plate.
- Cut the cake using a serrated knife and serve each piece atop a pool of the prepared orange crème anglaise.
- For an extra touch of elegance, you can drizzle additional liqueur over each serving if desired.
Nutritional Information (per serving):
- Calories: 299.9
- Fat: 8.4g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5g
- Cholesterol: 128.6mg
- Sodium: 138.5mg
- Carbohydrates: 48.6g
- Fiber: 0.2g
- Sugar: 35.4g
- Protein: 7.8g
Indulge in the luxurious flavors of this Five-Spice Angel Food Cake with Orange Crème Anglaise for a dessert experience that is sure to impress! Perfect for special occasions or when you simply want to treat yourself to something truly delightful.
