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Thursday, January 8, 2009

1-Year Blog Anniversary and Angel Food Cake

Angel Food CakeIt's hard to believe one year ago today I posted my first entry on this blog. So much has happened since then. I've met many amazing foodies and improved my baking and cooking skills. As well I've found a new love: photography. I want to thank all of you who read and comment and support my passion for food. It's been a blast!

To mark this occasion, I made an angel food cake. I've always wanted to make one from scratch since I've only ever made the boxed version before. My aunt used to make angel food cake for her daughters' birthdays, and I always looked forward to my piece topped with Seven-Minute Frosting. I was surprised at how easy it actually was to make this cake from scratch.

I used the recipe from Cook's Illustrated's The New Best Recipe cookbook. As well, I used the Multi-Tier Cake Pan that I received as a gift from my parents. I lined the bottom of the pan with a round piece of parchment paper and didn't spray it. [Next time, I would try spraying it since it didn't come out of the pan as easily as I'd hoped.]

Recipe

I halved the recipe and made three mini multi-tier cakes.

Ingredients for Angel Food Cake
1 cup sifted cake flour (3 ounces)
1½ cups sifted granulated sugar (10½ ounces)
12 large egg whites (1 ¾ cups plus 2 tablespoons), at room temperature
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
¼ teaspoon table salt
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1½ teaspoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon almond extract
Zest from 1 lemon

Other angel food cakes:
You can find the recipe and method for angel food cake at the following blogs:

Baking Bites' Perfect Angel Food Cake
Ward Street Bistro's Angel Food Cake 101

Glaze
14 ounces white chocolate
½ cup heavy cream

Melt the white chocolate with the heavy cream. Whisk the mixture gently until smooth. Let cool for 10 minutes and then spread over the chilled cake. Using a metal cake spatula, smooth out into an even layer.

Coconut Whipped Cream Frosting
1 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup coconut (½ cup coconut, toasted, for decorating)

Whip cream until almost stiff. Add sugar and vanilla. Beat until cream holds peaks. Fold in ½ cup coconut.

Angel Food Cake
Thanks for visiting and making this a wonderful year for me!

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65 comments:

  1. Congrats on the blogoversary! To many more :)

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  2. Happy one year Blogiversary! You have one of the prettiest blogs I've seen, so your photography hobby is paying off.

    Gorgeous cake, and congratulations one year!

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  3. Congrats, and the cake looks yummy! Low fat too ;)

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  4. I can't believe you've only been at this a year! Your work is lovely, and I look forward to seeing much more of it!

    Cheers,
    ~Sandy

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  5. Elle's absolutely correct - the photography on this blog is fabulous. Happy Blogoversary!

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  6. I love angel food cake, but am too much of a wimp to make one. Yours looks so wonderful - and sky high!
    What a great way to celebrate.

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  7. Happy Blogoversary!

    May I have the cake?

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  8. Happy Blogoversary! The angel food cake looks heavenly. :P

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  9. Happy Year One! The Coconut Whipped Cream Frosting sounds so good!

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  10. Congratulations on your blogaversary! I love the first photo, it reminds me of a baby's 1st birthday cake. Your baby blog has turned one and is now a grown blog. Aww...they grow so fast don't they? :)

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  11. Congratulations!
    Hoping that someday I can bake as clean and organized as you.

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  12. I love the little cake. It's beautiful! Happy Anniversary! Looking forward to many more!

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  13. Congrats on one year of delicious blog posts! :)

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  14. Congratulations Shari! What a beautiful cake to celebrate.

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  15. Happy Happy Blogiversary and many more...
    /Clara

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  16. Happy anniversary! The cake is lovely.

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  17. Congratulations!! And for all the ideas and inspiration -- a big Thank You!!

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  18. Happy Blogoversary!! Angel food cake is probably the hardest cake to make and yours looks amazing.

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  19. Congratulations, Shari! Your blog is one of my favorites.

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  20. happy one year, shari!

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  21. Congratulations Lady. What a wonderful way to celebrate!

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  22. Wow...you have such a beautiful blog and it is so inspiring. Congratulations on your 1 year anniversary. I wish I could eat your angel food cake.

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  23. Cheers to you!!! and have a great year too... :)

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  24. Happy blogiversary! I'll have to try the CI angel food cake recipe. I usually make the chocolate one from The Cake Bible. It's so neat to watch egg whites turn into the cake batter. =)

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  25. Happy blog anniversary, Shari!
    Long live the Whisk!

    Beautiful and... courageous angel cake! Another thing I wouldn't dare make! LOL But apparently you are stronger than everything... nothing resists you! LOL Bravo!

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  26. shari, the cake looks delicious...congratulations on your one year anniversary! looking forward to many more posts in 2009!

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  27. What a delicious and sweet way to celebrate your blog anniversary! Hope many more fun years will follow this one!

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  28. Happy blogiversary !! You enrich my wanderings on line thank you !!!

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  29. Happy blogaversary Shari! :) That cake looks glorious! I wouldn't spray it still, though, just get the thinnest most flexible knife you have and cut around the edge.
    Here's to many more posts and good food! :)

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  30. Hooray! Happy Blogiversary! :)

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  31. Congrats on one whole year of blogging! Your passion for food and photography shows in every one of your posts. Here's to many more bloggaversaries! :)

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  32. congrats on hitting one year--you've created a stellar blog here and should be proud!
    great cake, by the way. i've never made angel food cake from scratch, but if i ever do, you'd better believe some coconut frosting will be adorning it. :)

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  33. Happy Blogiversary!
    I'm curious to know what you did with all of the left over egg yolks!

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  34. Happy Anniversary!

    Huh, I have never thought of baking my own angel food cake. I always thought it just sorta spontaneously combusted into the universe, along with Puff Pastry and Filo dough.

    I think making a miracle like that happen is great way to celebrate your anniversary;-)

    -Sarah

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  35. Happy blog birthday/anniversary, dear Shari!
    Your blog looks whimsical and your food is delicious.

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  36. Happy Blogiversary! That cake looks like heaven and a fitting way to celebrate such a successful year!

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  37. I look forward to your next year of blogging. Congrats I love your blogs.

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  38. Happy Anniversary. It is amazing how fast a year goes by. I am so glad I discovered your blog, it is one of my favorites. A must see for me.

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  39. Shari -
    Happy blogiversary! I can't believe you've only been blogging for one year. I would have imagined that you were an old pro! Congrats!
    Kristen

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  40. Happy 1 year wishes! And your cake is so lovely. I have my grandmother's angel food cake pan; I'll have to make it again.
    Nancy

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  41. Happy Blog Anniversary!!
    You have a fantastic blog here you must be really proud.

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  42. Happy anniversary! And what a way to celebrate -- that is one truly beautiful cake!!

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  43. Belated Blogiversary!
    I agree, and angel food cake is so easy to make, and so good.

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  44. The cake looks lovely and fit for a anniversary for your wonderful blog!

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  45. Congrats on your first blogversary...you've got a wonderful space here :-)

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  46. Just found your blog. Happy Anniversary!

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  47. Congrats on urs blog's First Annivesary....
    Wish a lot more years to come..

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  48. Happy Happy Blogiversary!!!

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  49. Happy Anniversary Shari!

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  50. Happy Belated Blogoversary!

    I love looking at your photos, keep em coming!

    Here's to many more years of happy cooking!

    ;) amy

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  51. happy blogiversary! your angel food cake looks fab!

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  52. That little cake is gorgeous! Happy Blogiversary!

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  53. Congratulations! Love your blog and enjoy your anniversary!

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  54. Happy blogoversary! Your blog has been a real treat to read, and looking forward to more deliciousness in 2009!

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  55. Congrats Shari. You have a great blog with lots of amazing food and photography! I love to check out your latest creations.

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  56. Happy Blogiversary!

    I'm not fond of angel food cake but now that frosting sounds right up my alley!
    ~ingrid

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  57. Congrats on your 1 year blog a versary... Tomorrow is my 100th posting and we will be doing a cook book giveaway. Stop by and check it out. By the way your cake looks outstanding!

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  58. Happy anniversary! I just found your blog and love its design and your photography! I will be adding you to my reader as soon as I'm done here :)

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  59. I see this is an older recipe, but we are looking for Angel Food Cake recipes for National Angel Food Day. If you would please stop by and link-up this recipe and/or if you have any other Angel Food Cake recipes!

    http://momscrazycooking.blogspot.com/2011/10/this-weeks-cravings-50-angel-food-cake.html

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Thank you for visiting! I appreciate all your comments and love reading each and every one of them. I will answer your questions as best I can as soon as possible. I wish I could respond to everybody individually but my schedule just doesn't permit it right now. I will, however, do my best to visit your blog. Your comments are a big motivator to keep blogging so thanks for dropping by! {Please note that I don't allow Anonymous commenting due to spammers. As well, I won't publish a comment if it contains a link that doesn't go to a valid food blog, again due to spammers.}

Shari