Angel Food Cupcakes
These Red, White and Blue cupcakes are perfect for your 4th of July BBQ but are a great dessert anytime. The light fluffy angel food cake is topped with sweetened vanilla bean whipped cream, fresh berries, and crunchy meringue kisses. Sprinkle with powdered sugar for a special touch.
“Red, White and Blue cupcakes”
Save your yolks! This recipe uses 9 egg whites, don’t let those yolks go to waste. Some recipes ideas for using those yolks include this Mint Ice cream, or some lovely lemon curd would be nice drizzled on these cupcakes too.
I made these cupcakes standard sized, but you can make them mini. The frosting to cake ratio is better in my option for mini cupcakes and they are great 2 bite treats. Lots of frosting and less cake is the way to go for me. Just use a mini cupcake pan and reduce the baking time by 5-8 minutes. This angel food cake has small rise thanks to those rewhipped whites. So, I like to only fill the cupcake tins 3/4 of the way full. This will reduce the chance of under filling.
Angel Food Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream and Meringue Kisses
Angel Food Cake
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup cake flour
a pinch of salt
6 egg white, room temperature
2 1/2 tablespoons warm water
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Meringue Kisses
3 egg whites
3/4 cup sugar
*Fresh Berries and powdered for sprinkling
Angel Food Cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line your cupcake pan with paper cups.
In a food processor, plus the sugar until super fine. Add half the sugar to a large mixing bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (Flour, half of the sugar, and salt).
In another large bowl, add the egg whites, water, lemon juice and vanilla. With a hand mixer whip the mixture until foamy. Then, gradually add in the the reserved sugar. Whip until soft peaks form.
Gradually sift the flour mixture into the egg white mixture until just combined.
Spoon batter into cupcake pan and fill almost all of the way full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Then, move to a wire rack to cool.
Vanilla Bean Whipped:
Just before serving in a large bowl, whipped together the cream and sugar with and electric mixer until you reach stiff peaks.
Meringue Kisses: Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F, prepare a piping bag with the piping tip of your choice and line a baking sheet with silicone mat or parchment paper.
Add egg whites and sugar to a heat proof bowl and simmer over a pot of water, whisking constantly, until temperature reaches 160°F, or if you don't have a candy thermometer, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the egg whites are hot.
Transfer the sugar mixture to the bowl of a stand mixture fitted with the whisk attachment, begin to whip until the meringue is thick, glossy.
Once your meringue has reach stiff peaks and the bowl no longer feels warm, fill the prepared piping bag with meringue. Pipe out the kisses and bake for 40-50 minutes until stiff.
Assembly:
Fill a pastry bag fitted with the pastry tip of your choice with the whipped cream. Pipe a swirl on the top of each cupcake, top with berries and meringue kisses. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.
makes approximately 2 dozen standard size cupcakes
