Five-Spice Angel Food Cake With Orange Creme Anglaise-Homemade |
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Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 50 Minutes |
Ready In: 70 Minutes Servings: 4 |
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An angel-food with a hint of spice served over an orange cream sauce. It makes for quite an elegant dessert. You can make the cake up to 2 days in advance if you keep it tightly wrapped at room temperature. Be sure to keep the cake upside down until it is completely cooled-this will help keep it from collapsing when it is taken out of the pan. Cooling time is not included in prep time as it varies based on conditions. See Chinese Five-Spice Powder. Ingredients:
1 cup cake flour |
1 teaspoon chinese five spice powder (chinese five-spice powder or find at grocery store) |
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt |
10 large egg whites, at room temperature (save yolks for creme anglaise) |
1 teaspoon cream of tartar |
1 teaspoon almond extract |
1 1/4 cups sugar |
2 cups half-and-half |
1/2 cup sugar |
1 orange, rind of, grated |
6 large egg yolks |
1 tablespoon grand marnier (or other orange-flavor liqueur) or 1 tablespoon cointreau liqueur (or other orange-flavor liqueur) |
Directions:
1. For cake: In bowl, sift together flour, five-spice powder and salt.
2. Sift mixture a second time.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and extracts together at medium speed.
4. Increase speed to high and continue to beat mixture until soft peaks form.
5. Gradually add the sugar, beating until just before peaks are stiff.
6. Egg white mixture should be glossy and smooth.
7. Be careful not to over beat, or the cake will not be as tall.
8. Fold half of the flour mixture into the egg white mixture with a rubber spatula.
9. Then fold in the remaining flour mixture, being careful not to overwork the batter and knock the air out.
10. Pour batter into ungreased 10-inch tube pan and place on the middle oven rack.
11. Bake at 350°F until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes.
12. For Creme Anglaise: Meanwhile, in a 2-quart pan over medium-high heat, combine the half-and-half, sugar and orange peel.
13. Bring the mixture to a scald (just below the boiling point), then remove from heat and set aside for the flavors to steep for 30 minutes.
14. Return the pan to heat and reheat to scalding.
15. Back to Cake: Remove cake from oven and let stand for a few minutes before inverting onto a rack to cool; do not remove cake from pan yet.
16. Back to Sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks.
17. Add a ladle full of the scalded cream mixture to the yolks to temper them, whisking immediately.
18. This is important or you will end up with scrambled eggs instead of a nice sauce.
19. With heat at medium, add warmed yolks to pan, whisking constantly until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes.
20. (Do not allow mixture to come to a boil.) Immediately pour mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl.
21. Set the bowl into a larger bowl of ice water and allow it to cool.
22. When cold, stir in the orange-flavored liqueur.
23. Back to cake: When cake is completely cool, turn pan over and gently run a knife around the edges to loosen cake.
24. Turn cake out onto a serving plate.
25. Cut cake using a serrated knife and serve each piece atop a pool of creme anglaise.
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