Enjoy this Lemon Angel Food Cake with Lemon Curd Filling- the cottony soft angel food cake is filled with a splash of bright flavor from the lemon curd, then finished with a whipped cream topping. Total delight!
With a saucer plate of a big fat slice of this cake in my hand, my kids waited for each of their turns as I feed them.
Spoonful after another, their joy is obvious. They love this Lemon Angel Food Cake with Lemon Curd. I don’t know if it is because of the soft, bouncy cake or the tangy, sweet lemon curd. Or maybe it is just because of the fact that we were outside on a nice, sunny day. They gobbled up a big amount of this cake in a way that surprised me.
They usually favor the chocolaty types and not the citrus ones like this. But surprise, surprise! You cannot really predict kids, sometimes.
This cake is delightfully refreshing. This is the one you serve as a finale to a light, summer meal. It can also be the perfect dessert to cut through your palate after a rich, comforting meal during the colder weather. In short, it is your cake for any season.
Lemon Angel Food Cake with Lemon Curd Filling
The Lemon Curd
You will need a double boiler set up to make the lemon curd. I assemble a DIY double boiler every time. All you need is to bring fill a pot with about 1/3 of water. Bring the water to simmer over medium heat.
Set a heatproof bowl over the pot in a way that it does not wiggle or slide. You will need to find just the perfect sizes for both the pot and bowl so that they are a perfect fit. Also, the base of the bowl should not be touching the water in the pan.
Whisk together the egg yolks, lemon juice, sugar and lemon zest in the bowl for about ten minutes, until the mixture is thick. Remove from heat and stir in the butter, piece by piece. Strain into a container and cover tightly.
You can make this ahead for up to 4 days ahead. Just keep in covered in the fridge until needed.
The Lemon Angel Food Cake
Angel Food Cake rely on the egg whites to achieve their rise. The egg whites should be beaten until firm peaks form on their surface.
- Beat egg whites until foamy. Add lemon juice, and salt and continue to beat until soft peaks form.
- Add the sugar gradually, beating continuously until firm peaks form. Then gradually sift a mixture of flour and sugar over the beaten egg whites, folding gently after each addition. Stir in vanilla.
- Pour and scrape on an ungreased 10 -inch tube pan and bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.
Assembly of the Cake
- Let the cake cool completely while overturned.
- To unmold the cake, run a spatula around the edges and the inner ring to loosen the cake. Gently press every portion of the cake, downwards and away from the cake pan wall. Lift the center tube to release the cake. Loosen the bottom part of the cake by running a spatula underneath it. Gently lift the cake from the base and transfer to serving plate.
- Slice the cake in half horizontally. Spread the lemon curd over the surface and top with the top half of the cake.
- Spread the whipped cream over the top, and arrange the strawberries over the cream.
Just the sight of the cake makes my eyes sparkle. The first bite, heavenly. If you want to share a piece of yourself and show love in the form of baking a cake, go ahead, grab those lemons and begin zesting away…
Are you craving more cakes? Try these:
- Dulce de Leche Cake
- Pineapple Chiffon Cake with Sweet Pineapple Glaze
- Raspberry Cake with Chantilly Cream
- Blueberry Cheesecake
- Mango Cake Roll
- Mango Mousse Cake
- Mango Chiffon Cake with Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Lemon Angel Food Cake with Lemon Curd Filling
Ingredients
For the Angel Food Cake
- 1 and 1/4 cups cake flour sifted
- 1 and 1/4 cups sugar
- 1 and 1/2 cups egg whites about 10-12 eggs
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
For the Lemon Curd
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp finely grated lemon zest
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 1/3 cup cold butter cubed
For the Topping
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp icing sugar
- 1 cup fresh strawberries hulled, quartered
Instructions
Make the Lemon Curd
Set a heatproof glass bowl over a pot of simmering water. (The water on the pot should not be touching the base of the bowl). Add egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest to the bowl. Stir over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, until the mixture is thick. Remove from heat and stir butter one piece at a time. Strain into a container. Stored covered in the fridge until needed. Tip: You can make this up to 4 days ahead.
Make the Angel Food Cake
Preheat oven to 350 F. In a bowl, sift flour with 1/2 cup of sugar. Set aside. In a bowl of a stand mixer, beat egg whites until foamy. Add the lemon juice and salt and continue beating until soft peaks form. Add the remaining sugar gradually, continuing to beat until the egg whites form firm peaks.
- Sift the flour mixture over the egg batter gradually, about 3-4 additions. Fold gently after each addition using a rubber spatula. Fold in vanilla extract.
Pour and scrape the batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan. Run a knife through the batter to release any large air pockets. Bake at 350 F for 35-40 minutes, or until a knife inserted at the center of the cakes comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely while overturned.
Make the Whipped Cream Topping
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together heavy cream and icing sugar until firm peaks form. Add the vanilla and beat briefly just until it is incorporated.
Assemble the Cake
Run a spatula along the edges and the inner ring of the tube pan. Use your hands to gently press the cake down and away from the walls of the pan. Lift the tube to release the cake. Loosen the bottom of the cake with a spatula and gently lift the cake and place it on a serving plate or cake stand.
Cut the cake in half horizontally. Spread the lemon curd over the bottom layer. Top with the top half of the cake. Spread whipped cream over the cake and top with strawberries.
Recipe Notes
Recipe adapted from "Lemon Angel Food Cake with Whipped Mascarpone Cream" Best Cakes and Cupcakes, Canadian Living Magazine.
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