Ultimate Cook Book_ 900 New Recipes, Thousands of Ideas - Bruce Weinstein [333]
Beat the 6 egg whites and salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until frothy. Raise the speed to high and beat until you can make droopy peaks in the mixture by dabbing it with the turned-off beaters, about 3 minutes. Set aside.
Whisk both flours, the sugar, and baking powder in a medium bowl; set aside as well.
If you’re working with a hand-held mixer, clean and dry the beaters; if you’re working with a stand mixer, attach the paddle. Beat the egg yolks, lemon juice, lemon zest, butter, and almond extract at medium speed in a large bowl until fluffy and lemony yellow, about 2 minutes.
Turn the beaters off and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the prepared flour mixture and beat at low speed until a soft, moist, but slightly grainy batter forms, no more than 45 seconds. There should be no white grains of flour visible.
Remove the beaters and fold in the beaten egg whites with a rubber spatula, using long, even arcs, just until incorporated.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until puffed and springy, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the cake’s center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 40 minutes. Dust with confectioners’ sugar when cooled by sifting the sugar through a fine-mesh strainer over the top of the cake.
To cool: Set the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes, then release the springform ring and remove the cake to continue cooling to room temperature.
To store: Omit dusting the cake with confectioners’ sugar. Keep the cake on the metal bottom of the springform pan; when completely cooled, wrap in plastic and store at room temperature for 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Dust with confectioners’ sugar just before serving.
Variations: Substitute any of the following for the almond extract: 2 teaspoons finely minced basil leaves, ½ teaspoon mint extract, or ¼ teaspoon ground cloves.
Lime Cake: Substitute lime juice and finely grated lime zest for the lemon juice and lemon zest. Omit the almond extract. You might also want to add 1 or 2 drops green food coloring with the lime juice.
Honey Cake
A slow oven keeps the honey from caramelizing too quickly. A mix of flours assures a tender cake. Makes one 9-inch round cake
¼ cup canola oil, plus additional for greasing the pan
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting the pan
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
¾ cup honey
¼ cup sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ cup milk (regular, low-fat, or fat-free)
Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 300°F. Dab a little oil on a paper towel and grease a 9-inch round springform pan. Lightly dust the inside of the pan with flour, shaking out any excess.
Whisk both flours, the baking soda, cinnamon, salt, allspice, and nutmeg in a medium bowl; set aside.
Beat the honey and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until creamy and light, about 1 minute. Beat in the eggs one at a time, waiting about 1 minute after adding the first before adding the second. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in the canola oil and vanilla just until smooth.
Turn off the beaters, add half the prepared flour mixture, and beat at low speed until combined. Beat in the milk, then turn off the beaters and add the rest of the flour mixture. Beat at very low speed just until combined, until there are no white rifts of flour visible.
Pour into the prepared pan and bake until puffed and lightly browned, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour.
To cool: Set the cake in its pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then release the rim of the springform pan and continue cooling on the rack until room temperature.
To store: Keep the cake on the pan’s bottom, wrap in plastic or place on a cake plate under a dome when completely