This morning I was reading my Southern Living newsletter (I am a subscriber) and I think my breath caught in my throat when I saw this recipe for a homemade angel food cake. Now, cakes are cakes and it it's really hard for a white cake and frosting to be 'bad' in my book (white cake is my all time favorite!) but the presentation of this one is what makes it a hands down winner in my book. I saw it and knew I HAD to make it. It calls for gumdrop Edible Mixed Colour Rose Petals
but if you have real roses or access to real roses that you know for a fact are all natural, never been sprayed with pesticides or chemicals, you can dip them in a beaten egg white with a little water and dip them in fine grained sugar to make a sugared petal, or place them directly - cleaned and dry - on the cake before serving. My email attributes the recipe to Linda Nesloney and was published in their April 2008 issue. Really though, you could use whatever white cake mix you want. In this cake, it's all in the presentation.Angel Food Cake with Rose Petals
* 2 1/2 c sugar
* 1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
* 1/4 t salt
* 2 1/2 c egg whites
* 1 t cream of tartar
* 1 t vanilla extract
* 1 t fresh lemon juice
* Lemon-Cream Cheese Frosting or favorite frosting
* Garnishes: Edible Mixed Colour Rose Petals
, fresh mint leaves
Preheat oven to 375°. Line bottom and sides of a 13- x 9-inch pan with aluminum foil, allowing 2 to 3 inches to extend over sides of pan. (Do not grease pan or foil.) Sift together first 3 ingredients.
Beat egg whites and cream of tartar at high speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until stiff peaks form. Gradually fold in sugar mixture, 1/3 cup at a time, folding just until blended after each addition. Fold in vanilla and lemon juice. Spoon batter into prepared pan almost to the very top.
Bake at 375° on an oven rack one-third up from bottom of oven 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Invert cake onto a lightly greased wire rack; let cool, with pan over cake, 1 hour or until completely cool. Remove pan; peel foil off cake. Transfer cake to a serving platter. Spread Frosting evenly over top of cake. Garnish with rose petals.
