Chocolate Tweed Angel Food Cake

I got plenty amount of egg whites in the refrigerator, leftovers from last week's tiramisu...where I took only the yolks. So, there is a recipe using only egg whites, Angel Food Cake. Despite the warning from Rose from Rose's Heavenly Cakes book about many people find the taste of the angel food cake is too sweet...I'm willing to give her recipe a try since she mentioned that the perfect solution is to spangle the batter with grated bitter chocolate(99% cacao chocolate). Since I still got 1 kg of the Manjari chocolate (64% cacao chocolate) and the expiry in very soon, I guessed I just used it instead...with lesser amount. I only used half 3/4 of the suggested amount of the bitter chocolate. The chocolate must first be chilled for about an hour, finely grate them and refrigerate until it is time to be used.

Chocolate Tweed Angel Food Cake

Ingredients:

300g caster sugar

100g cake flour, sifted

1/4 tsp salt

16 large egg whites, at room temperature

2 tsp cream of tartar

4 tsp vanilla extract

56g fine-quality unsweetened or 99% cacao chocolate, chilled, finely grated, regrigerated

The equipment:

1 10-inch (16 cups) 2-pc metal tube pan

Long necked soda bottle or botol kicap besar

The process:

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius (165 on my oven)
2. In a small bowl, whisk half the sugar, the flour and salt until combined. Sift the remaining sugar onto another small bowl or a piece of baking sheet
3. In a bowl of stand mixer with whisk beater, beat the egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar, and beat at a medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the sifted sugar and continue to beat on a medium high speed until very stiff peaks form when the beater is raised. Beat in the vanilla until combined.
4. Sift the flour mixture over the beaten egg whites (1/4 at a time) and fold it using a large silicone spatula. Add in the grated chocolate and mix until fully incorporated.
5. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Run a metal spatula or a knife through the batter to prevent air pockets and smooth the surface evenly. I don't think I did it right, my cake has a lots of air pockets! (see photo below)
6.  Bake at the center rack for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown and a wire cake tester inserted into the cake comes out clean.
7. Immediately invert the pan, placing the tube opening over the neck of the bottle, this will prevent the cake from sinking/collapsed. Cool completely for 1 1/2 hours.
8. Loosen the sides and of the pan with a long narrow spatula and remove the center core of the pan. Using the metal spatula or a thin knife, loosen the bottom of the pan. Invert the cake onto a flat plate. Allow the cake to sit for 1 hour before applying the Chocolate Spangled Whipped Cream.

Chocolate-Spangled Whipped Cream

2 cups whipping cream, cold

2 tbsp caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup dark chocolate, 60%-62% cacao, chilled, finely grated, refrigerated

1/2 cup finely ground almonds (lightly toasted before grinding)

1. Combine cream & sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and refrigerate for 15 minutes together with the whisk beater.
2. Whip the cream and sugar gradually raising from low speed to medium high until it thickens. Add the vanilla and whip until soft peaks form. Using a large silicone spatula fold in the chocolate and almonds and mix until fully combined.
3. Spread over the cool cake

Verdict:

The cake: Still too sweet for me!! I reckoned the amount of sugar should be reduced as well even though I have reduced the amount of the grated bittersweet chocolate. But I still think it will still be too sweet for me if using 99% cacao chocolate.

The frosting: It is so delicious!...I thought I just scrape off and eat the frosting only ! :)