Recipe: Angel Food Cake with Toffee Crunch
Page: 272
Date Cooked: September 29, 2012
All of the components of this recipe were "firsts" for me. I had never made angel food cake, toffee, or butter cream icing before. Accordingly, I didn't have much to go off of, other than having tasted these items previously. While I don't want to spoil the ending... the one thing I discovered is I think I will be investing in a candy thermometer.
I began by separating the eggs and getting 13 egg whites. I sifted cake flour and sugar in a bowl and set aside.
With an electric mixer, I whipped the egg whites until foamy. I added the cream of tartar and continued to whip till peaks formed. I then slowly added sugar to the egg whites and continued to whip. Finally, I folded in the flour mixture, salt, honey, and vanilla extract.
I transferred the batter to an angel food cake pan. The cake baked until a skewer inserted near the center came out dry. I inverted the pan and let it cool upside down.
While the cake cooled, I moved on to the toffee and icing. For the toffee, I combined sugar, brown sugar, and water in a saucepan. I cooked this sugar-water mixture until the sugar dissolved. I continued to cook, without stirring, until the caramel became an amber color. I removed the saucepan from the heat and added baking soda. I poured the toffee onto an oiled baking sheet and let cool.
For the icing, I combined espresso, egg yolks, and sugar in a make-shift double boiler and cooked. I whisked the mixture until it thickened. I then let the espresso mixture cool.
Once the espresso mixture cooled, I beat butter with an electric mixer until smooth. I then blended in the espresso mixture.
At this point, I was very close to putting the cake all together. However, my toffee just wouldn't set. After hours in the freezer, I still had a caramel-taffy type texture. Upon further research, I discovered that my "toffee" still had too much water in it and was just not going to set.
I was planning on taking this cake over to a friend's house that night and didn't have time to try making the toffee again. So I decided to assemble the cake with what I had. I ran a knife alongside the cake pan to unmold the cake. Jonathan Waxman instructs to slice the cake into 3 horizontal layers. But out of fear, I decided two horizontal layers would be sufficient.
I spread the icing on the bottom layer and drizzled over the caramel/taffy/toffee. I put the top layer on top and repeated. I then using the remaining frosting around the cake. Finally, I dusted with confectioners' sugar.
In spite of not quite getting toffee, I thought the cake was pretty good. The angel food cake was light and delicious. I loved the espresso butter cream frosting. Personally, I'm not a fan of "too sweet" and this frosting was spot on. And even though the toffee ended up as caramel, it was still delicious. Also, Jonathan Waxman instructs putting the cake in the fridge if not serving right away - this is 100 percent spot on. The icing melts quickly.
Overall, what I discovered was the right toffee temperature is just before burning. So now I know. Given that this was my first toffee-making attempt, I would try this recipe again. And hopefully I will actually get some toffee crunch.
Page: 272
Date Cooked: September 29, 2012
All of the components of this recipe were "firsts" for me. I had never made angel food cake, toffee, or butter cream icing before. Accordingly, I didn't have much to go off of, other than having tasted these items previously. While I don't want to spoil the ending... the one thing I discovered is I think I will be investing in a candy thermometer.
 |
| Ingredients: Cake flour, sugar, egg whites, cream of tartar, salt, honey, vanilla extract, sugar, light brown sugar, baking soda, brewed espresso, egg yolks, unsalted butter, and confectioners' sugar |
I began by separating the eggs and getting 13 egg whites. I sifted cake flour and sugar in a bowl and set aside.
 |
| Sifted cake flour and sugar |
With an electric mixer, I whipped the egg whites until foamy. I added the cream of tartar and continued to whip till peaks formed. I then slowly added sugar to the egg whites and continued to whip. Finally, I folded in the flour mixture, salt, honey, and vanilla extract.
 |
| Angel food cake batter in the making |
I transferred the batter to an angel food cake pan. The cake baked until a skewer inserted near the center came out dry. I inverted the pan and let it cool upside down.
 |
| Angel food cake |
While the cake cooled, I moved on to the toffee and icing. For the toffee, I combined sugar, brown sugar, and water in a saucepan. I cooked this sugar-water mixture until the sugar dissolved. I continued to cook, without stirring, until the caramel became an amber color. I removed the saucepan from the heat and added baking soda. I poured the toffee onto an oiled baking sheet and let cool.
 |
| Making toffee |
For the icing, I combined espresso, egg yolks, and sugar in a make-shift double boiler and cooked. I whisked the mixture until it thickened. I then let the espresso mixture cool.
 |
| Espresso mixture |
Once the espresso mixture cooled, I beat butter with an electric mixer until smooth. I then blended in the espresso mixture.
 |
| Blending butter |
At this point, I was very close to putting the cake all together. However, my toffee just wouldn't set. After hours in the freezer, I still had a caramel-taffy type texture. Upon further research, I discovered that my "toffee" still had too much water in it and was just not going to set.
I was planning on taking this cake over to a friend's house that night and didn't have time to try making the toffee again. So I decided to assemble the cake with what I had. I ran a knife alongside the cake pan to unmold the cake. Jonathan Waxman instructs to slice the cake into 3 horizontal layers. But out of fear, I decided two horizontal layers would be sufficient.
 |
| Two layers of angel food cake |
I spread the icing on the bottom layer and drizzled over the caramel/taffy/toffee. I put the top layer on top and repeated. I then using the remaining frosting around the cake. Finally, I dusted with confectioners' sugar.
 |
| Angel Food Cake with Toffee Crunch |
In spite of not quite getting toffee, I thought the cake was pretty good. The angel food cake was light and delicious. I loved the espresso butter cream frosting. Personally, I'm not a fan of "too sweet" and this frosting was spot on. And even though the toffee ended up as caramel, it was still delicious. Also, Jonathan Waxman instructs putting the cake in the fridge if not serving right away - this is 100 percent spot on. The icing melts quickly.
Overall, what I discovered was the right toffee temperature is just before burning. So now I know. Given that this was my first toffee-making attempt, I would try this recipe again. And hopefully I will actually get some toffee crunch.
Enjoy!
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