Angel Food Cake and the Secret to Strawberries

Strawberries. They can be one of the most luscious, juicy, sweet tidbits to ever touch your lips. Or they can be meh… In fact, they can be down right bad – bitter, mealy, crunchy. Yuck. So what do you do when you want to make a light, airy, melt-in-your-mouth Angel Food Cake and top it with deliciously sweet and juicy ripe red strawberries (and a big blob of whipped cream), but finding them when winter has a stronghold on the country is about as likely as picking winning lotto numbers? You’re in luck; I’ve got the secret! (Not to picking the lotto numbers, unfortunately.)

To say the house where I grew up is unique would be an understatement. It was an old 1920s sprawling adobe house sitting on three acres of the most lush, green, and secluded land right in the middle of Phoenix. The walls were authentic hand-packed, sun dried, mud and straw adobe bricks covered with hand-troweled plaster. The floors were original, scored and stained concrete, and the arched doorways and hallways were never-ending. There’s nothing like it. But as a kid, I certainly didn’t appreciate it. In fact, my mom tells me that I was embarrassed to even bring friends over because the house was so “old” and the property was “too much like a jungle.” Apparently, I wanted to live in a two story brand new house with a manicured square of grass like all of my friends. Ha! Looking back now, I can’t fathom how I failed to recognize and appreciate the beauty of that house. But luckily others (like my parents) knew it was special. Many years ago, it was selected as the Home and Garden Designer Show House. Following that, my mom ran a very successful bed and breakfast out of the house (you already know that if you’ve read about my Blueberry Smoothies). She also hosted corporate parties and weddings. She was happy to share the beauty of her home with others, and they were delighted to be included.

But what does all of this have to do with strawberries and Angel Food Cake, you might be wondering… My mom met some very creative, talented, and interesting people during the time she ran her home as a business. Everyone from corporate executives to television stars to the then Vice President of the United States came for events. And those events were catered by some of the most famous chefs of all time. Elaborate weddings and parties were booked a year in advance. The fabulous food was only overshadowed by the beautiful and elegant wedding cakes, and one of the most well respected, highly sought after wedding cake designers was none other than Cathy of Cathy’s Rum Cakes. She was the wedding cake designer go-to person at the time, and she always exceeded the (very high) expectations of the brides – brides who often wanted rich, lush, sweet ripe strawberries dripping off of their cakes. Even in the dead of winter when strawberries were nearly impossible to come by. But Cathy had a secret. And she shared that secret with my mom.

And that secret is why I can make my fluffy, dreamy, airy, Angel Food Cake and top it with delicious strawberries any time of the year. (This is particularly helpful for Valentine’s Day!) So here it is… and it’s oh so simple. Mix equal parts sugar and balsamic vinegar together (you only need about a tablespoon of each) and drizzle it over the sliced strawberries. Let them marinate for a couple of hours, and it’s like magic! Strawberries that were “yuck” now look and taste like they came from your own backyard garden in the peak of summer. It’s an amazing trick, and I use it every time. These strawberries are the perfect complement to the wonderfully light pillowy Angel Food Cake, so pile ’em on! Of all the tips and tricks my mom learned and perfected while she ran her bed and breakfast, hosted weddings, and had major events, this is by far one of my favorites! Pass it on to all the strawberry lovers you know. They’ll thank you for it! And I’m sure Cathy won’t mind.

[wpurp-searchable-recipe]Angel Food Cake and the Secret to Strawberries – Light, airy, fluffy Angel Food Cake is a snap to make. Top it with ripe, sweet, luscious strawberries and you've got dessert fit for a king! – For the Cake: Cake Flour, Powdered Sugar, Egg Whites, Cream of Tartar, salt, Granulated Sugar, Vanilla extract, For the Strawberries : Strawberries (Sliced), Granulated Sugar, Balsamic Vinegar, whipped cream (If desired), , Turn oven on to 375 degrees. Sift together flour and powdered sugar into a small bowl and set aside.; In a large bowl, beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt with a mixer at medium speed until foamy. Then increase the speed to high and beat until soft peaks form. Add granulated sugar 1/4 cup at a time and beat until fully incorporated. Repeat until all the sugar for the cake has been added and stiff peaks form. Beat in vanilla. ; Sift flour mixture 1/4 at a time into the egg white mixture and fold it with a rubber spatula until incorporated. Repeat until all of the flour mixture is incorporated into the egg whites. Do not over mix, though. You want to keep it light and airy. ; Fold batter into an UNGREASED 9 inch tube pan and spread evenly. Bake 30-35 minutes, until cake springs back when lightly touched. When you remove the pan from the oven, immediately invert the pan and place on a large funnel or bottle to hold it upside down until it cools completely. Once cooled run the tip of a thin knife around all the edges and bottom to loosen it from the pan. Remove and place on a cake plate.; While the cake is cooling, slice strawberries and place in a small bowl. In another small bowl, mix together sugar and balsamic vinegar until blended and drizzle over the strawberries. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside until you serve the cake. ; Slice the cake with a serrated knife. Place on a plate and top with strawberries and whipped cream (if using). Enjoy! ; ; – – Dessert – American – Easy – Angel food cake – cake – dessert – light dessert – strawberries – valentine's day – whipped cream[/wpurp-searchable-recipe]