Orange and Ginger Angel Food Cake #Baketogether

INGREDIENTS

For the cake:

1 cup (4 ounces) cake flour

1 1/4 cup (5 ounces) confectioners’ sugar

1/4  teaspoon table salt

11 large (1 1/3 cups) egg whites, at room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 cup (7 ounces) superfine sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons finely grated orange zest

1 Tablespoon finely chopped crystallized ginger

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla bean paste

For the curd:

1 Cup Sugar

1 tsp Kosher Salt

1 Cup Juice of Fresh Oranges

6 Egg Yolks

2 oz Chocolate (I used Valhrona)

2.5 Tbsp Butter

METHOD

For  the cake:  Heat oven to 350. Have ready an 10 x 4–inch angel food cake pan–do not grease the pan. Sift ( just a regular old sieve will work here) together the flour, confectioners’ sugar and salt three times (no joke – THREE times) onto a sheet of parchment, waxed paper or foil and set aside.   In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium-low speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar, increasing speed to medium, and beat until whites are opaque and climbing about half way up the bowl (the tracks from the whisk will be beginning to hold their shape) forming very soft peaks. Continue beating while slowly and continuously adding the superfine sugar. Beat on medium high until the whites are thick, shiny and form medium-firm, fluffy peaks. (The peaks should droop over gently.) Do not over beat. You want to leave some room for those whites to expand in the oven. Add the orange zest, crystallized ginger and vanilla bean paste. Beat just until blended, about 10 seconds.   Sift 1/4 of the flour mixture over the beaten whites. Using a large rubber spatula, gently fold the dry ingredients into the whites. Repeat with remaining flour mixture, one quarter at a time.

Using the spatula to gently coax the batter, pour evenly into the prepared pan.  Smooth the top with a knife or short spatula.  Bake until the cake is light golden brown and the cake is springy when touched, about 40 minutes. Immediately invert the pan onto the counter if the pan has feet or if it doesn’t, invert the pan sliding the center tube onto the neck of the bottle. Let cool completely.   To remove the cake, rotate the pan, gently tapping the bottom edge of the cake pan on the counter as you turn it until the cake loosens from the pan. If necessary, run a long, thin knife between the cake and the pan and around the inside of the tube to loosen the cake. Slip the cake from the pan and gently lift it up from the center of the pan and arrange on a flat serving plate.    Cut the cooled cake using a serrated knife and a gently sawing motion.  Serve slices of cake drizzled with the warm or room temperature orange chocolate curd.

For the curd:

Using a heavy bottom pot (I use my Le Creuset), add 1 cup of sugar, 1 tsp of salt and 1 cup of fresh squeezed orange juice to the pot.  Put on medium flame and whisk these ingredients together.  Beat the 6 egg yolks and add to the pot, continually whisking until this mixture is almost at the boil.  Add the two ounces of chocolate and continue to whisk.  This mixture will begin to thicken ever so slightly–do not let this mixture boil.  Remove from the flame and add your 2 1/2 tbsp of butter to this mixture.  Pour into a clean  jar and cover until cooled.  Refrigerate until needed.  This made a light chocolate flavor, if you like, you might try adding one more ounce of chocolate for a deeper flavor, but I liked this version just fine.