Lemon Thyme Angel Food Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Make the cake: Preheat oven to 325 degrees, with rack in lower third of oven. Sift flour and 1/2 cup sugar into a bowl.
• Whisk whites with a mixer on medium speed until frothy, about 1 minute. Add lemon zest and juice, cream of tartar, vanilla, and salt; continue whisking until soft peaks form, about 2 1/2 minutes. With mixer running, gradually add remaining cup sugar.
• Increase speed to medium-high; continue whisking until firm, not stiff, peaks form, about 7 minutes. Sprinkle whites with 1/3 of the flour-sugar mixture. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold to combine. Sprinkle remaining flour-sugar mixture over whites in 2 additions; gently fold to combine.
• Transfer batter to a 10-inch angel food cake pan with legs. Gently run a knife through the center of the batter to remove any air bubbles. Bake until a tester inserted into center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes.
• Remove pan from oven, and invert onto its cooling legs (if your tube pan doesn't have legs, invert it over the neck of a wine, or similarly shaped, bottle to cool); let cool, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Run a knife around the inner and outer edges of cake to remove. Invert onto a serving platter. (Use a knife to separate cake from bottom of pan.) Let cool on a wire rack. Unfrosted cake can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
• Make the lemon cream: Prepare an ice-water bath. Whisk lemon juice, sugar, flour, and salt in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil; whisk constantly for 1 minute, until it thickens. Transfer to a heatproof bowl set in ice-water bath to cool completely, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, whisk cream and lemon zest with a mixer on medium speed until medium peaks form, about 3 minutes. Gently fold whipped cream into juice mixture in thirds. Refrigerate lemon cream, up to overnight.
• Make the candied lemon-peel flowers: Combine sugar and water in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, using a vegetable peeler, peel 3 lemons to create 6 long strips (at least 5 inches long and about 1/2 inch wide). Remove pith from strips using a paring knife. Cut tops and bottoms off remaining 3 lemons; cut each in half lengthwise. Remove flesh. Cut out 6 flowers from the peels using a 2-inch flower-shaped cookie cutter and remove pith; cut indentations into petals for definition. Punch a hole in the center of each flower using a 1/4-inch plain round piping tip.
• Add lemon-peel strips and flowers to the syrup. Gently simmer until translucent and tender, about 35 minutes. Remove peels from syrup using a slotted spoon, and transfer to a wire rack set over a parchment. Let dry slightly, about 30 minutes.
• Trim strips to 5-inch lengths, and roll each to form centers of flowers; fit into flower holes and let stand on wire rack until slightly dry but still sticky, about 30 minutes.
• Frost cake with lemon cream. Garnish with candied flowers. Serve.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Combine 1/2 cup of sugar with the flour and sift together 4 times. Set aside.
• Place the egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and beat on high speed until the eggs make medium-firm peaks, about 1 minute. With the mixer on medium speed, add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of sugar by sprinkling it over the beaten egg whites. Whisk for a few minutes until thick and shiny. Whisk in the vanilla and lemon zest and continue to whisk until very thick, about 1 more minute. Sift about 1/4 of the flour mixture over the egg whites and fold it into the batter with a rubber spatula. Continue adding the flour by fourths by sifting and folding until it's all incorporated.
• Pour the batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan, smooth the top, and bake it for 35 to 40 minutes, until it springs back to the touch. Remove the cake from the oven and invert the pan on a cooling rack until cool.

Steps:

• Place 12 egg whites in a large bowl. Sift 1/2 cup sugar and flour together twice; set aside. , Add cream of tartar, vanilla and salt to egg whites; beat on medium speed until foamy. Gradually beat in remaining sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, on high until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Gradually fold in flour mixture, about 1/2 cup at a time. , Gently spoon batter into an ungreased 10-in. tube pan. Cut through batter with a knife to remove air pockets. Bake on lowest oven rack at 350° until golden brown and entire top appears dry, 35-40 minutes. Immediately invert pan; cool completely, about 1 hour., Run a knife around side and center tube of pan. Remove cake; split into 2 horizontal layers. Place cake bottom on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Spread with lemon curd; replace cake top. , For meringue, in a small bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar on medium until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Spread over top and sides of cake., Bake at 350° until golden brown, 15-18 minutes. Transfer to a serving plate. Refrigerate leftovers.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add confectioners' sugar; beat until stiff peaks form. Place pie filling in a bowl; fold in whipped cream., Cut cake into two horizontal layers. Place bottom layer on a serving plate; top with 1 cup lemon mixture. Top with a second cake layer. Frost top and sides of cake with remaining lemon mixture. Chill for 15 minutes or until serving. Refrigerate leftovers.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with rack in lower third. Butter six (1-cup) molds of a mini angel food cake pan or mini bundt pan. Dust with flour, and tap out excess. Pick 2 teaspoons small sprigs from tops of lemon thyme sprigs, and divide evenly among molds; set aside. Coarsely chop remaining lemon thyme leaves to make tablespoons; whisk chopped lemon thyme with the flour, salt, and lemon zest in a small bowl. Set aside.
• Put butter into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream on medium speed until pale and fluffy, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, about 4 minutes. Add sugar. Mix until pale and fluffy, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, about 3 minutes.
• Mix in vanilla. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition; mix until smooth. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in 3 batches, mixing until just combined after each addition.
• Spoon batter over lemon thyme in prepared molds. Smooth tops using a small rubber spatula. Firmly tap the pan on counter to eliminate any air bubbles. Bake until a cake tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let cakes cool slightly in pan on a wire rack, about 10 minutes. Run a knife around edges of molds to loosen; unmold cakes. Place each cake on a serving plate, and drizzle with about 1 tablespoon syrup. Garnish with lemon thyme sprigs.

Steps:

• Make the cake: Heat the oven to 350 degrees and place a rack in the center.
• Sift flour and 1/3 cup/65 grams granulated sugar into a large bowl.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine egg whites, salt and cream of tartar and beat with the whisk attachment on medium-high speed until medium peaks form, about 3 minutes.
• Gradually add in remaining 1 cup/200 grams granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, and beat until firm, glossy peaks form. Beat in confectioners' sugar, lemon zest, vanilla and lemon extract.
• Sift a quarter of the flour mixture over egg whites and use a rubber spatula to fold until barely combined. Repeat with remaining flour in 3 more additions.
• Scrape into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan, smooth top, and bake until cake is springy and pulls away from the pan, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• Make the curd: In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup/59 milliliters lemon juice and gelatin; set aside to bloom. In a large bowl, lightly beat eggs.
• In a medium bowl, combine granulated sugar, butter, remaining 1/4 cup/59 milliliters fresh lemon juice, the preserved lemon juice, the zest and the salt. Place bowl over a pot of simmering water until warm. Remove from the heat, then pour over the eggs in a thin stream, constantly whisking. Place bowl with the egg and lemon mixture over the simmering water pot and cook, stirring constantly, to 175 degrees, about 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat, stir in gelatin mixture and immediately pour through a fine strainer into a wide bowl set over ice bath, stirring until mixture is cool. Chill for 1 hour.
• Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Fold into the lemon curd and chill for another hour, until cold.
• To serve, unmold the cake. Using a serrated knife, halve the cake crosswise to create 2 layers. Dollop on some of the lemon cream to cover. Top with the cake and dollop on more lemon cream. (Remaining lemon cream will last up to a week in the refrigerator.)

Steps:

• Prepare cake batter according to package directions, adding lemon zest and extract. Bake according to package directions. After baking, immediately invert pan and cool completely. For the sauce, combine the pie filling, milk, lemon juice and extract in a bowl; beat until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Serve with cake. Store sauce in the refrigerator.