Toasted Angel Food Cake with Strawberries
Description
Kids will go crazy over these light and airy toasted angel food cakes with lemon cream cheese frosting and laughing strawberry decorations.
Ingredients
•
1 3/4 cups white sugar
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1 cup cake flour
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1/4 teaspoon salt
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12 egg whites, at room temperature
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1/3 cup water
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1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
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1 teaspoon lemon extract
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1 1/2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
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1/4 cup butter, softened
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1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
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1 (16 ounce) package confectioners' sugar, divided
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2 teaspoons lemon zest
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3/4 cup sliced fresh strawberries
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3/4 cup fresh blueberries
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3/4 cup fresh blackberries
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3/4 cup fresh raspberries
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2 tablespoons white sugar
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6 fresh strawberries with leaves
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12 black sugar pearls (such as Wilton® sprinkles)
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1 teaspoon stiff white decorator icing (such Wilton® Bright White), or as needed
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2 tablespoons butter, softened
Directions
1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2
Place 1 3/4 cups sugar in a food processor and blend until superfine, about 2 minutes.
3
Sift half the fine sugar, cake flour, and salt together in a bowl.
4
Whisk egg whites, water, cream of tartar, and lemon extract together in a large bowl for 2 minutes. Beat in remaining fine sugar using an electric mixer until medium peaks form. Sprinkle some of the flour mixture on top; stir in gently. Repeat with the rest of the flour mixture. Spoon batter carefully into an ungreased fluted tube pan.
5
Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 35 minutes. Invert onto a cooling rack and let cool completely, at least 25 minutes.
6
Beat cream cheese and 1/4 cup butter together in a bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed until light and creamy. Add lemon juice; beat until just blended. Gradually mix in all but 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar on low speed until frosting is just blended. Stir in lemon zest.
7
Mix 3/4 cup strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries thoroughly in a bowl with 2 tablespoons white sugar.
8
Cut a curved, smile-shaped line near the bottom of each whole strawberry; carefully cut another, flatter curve above. Connect the two curves and carve out space between to create the smile. Leave room above the smile and below the leaves for eyeballs.
9
Place reserved 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar in a small bowl. Dust hands with sugar and roll a tiny amount of stiff decorator icing between your fingers into a small ball. Place it on the strawberry, above the smile. Make another ball and stick it next to the first one. Stick 1 black sugar pearl onto each frosting ball to create eyes. Repeat with remaining whole strawberries.
10
Remove cake carefully from the pan, scraping edges from side if needed. Slice into 6 slices about 2 inches thick. Spread 2 tablespoons butter equally on the outside of the slices.
11
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add a cake slice; toast until lightly browned, about 1 minute per side. Place toasted cake on a plate. Spoon some frosting on top and let it drip down. Spoon sugared berries around the cake and place a smiling strawberry on top. Repeat with remaining cake slices, frosting, and berries.