sentinel staff
Logan McGlynn of Indiana County won the Incredible Angel Food Cake Contest at the 2024 Pennsylvania Farm Show with his recipe for a cake with lemon buttercream frosting.
cake
1 3/4 cups extra fine sugar
1 cup of flour and 2 tablespoons (scoop and flatten with a spoon)
12 egg whites from Hillside Poultry Farm Inc. (room temperature)
Cream of tartar 1 1/2 teaspoons
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Adjust oven rack to lower center position and preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites, vanilla, and cream of tartar on medium-low until foamy, about 1 minute. Switch to medium-high and slowly add 1 cup of sugar. Blend until soft peaks form, about 5-6 minutes.
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Combine flour, 3/4 cup sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Slowly sift the flour mixture into the egg white mixture in three additions, gently mixing with a rubber spatula after each addition. Do not add the flour mixture all at once to avoid deflating or creating a dense cake. Sift through a sieve and mix very slowly in several additions.
Pour the batter into an ungreased 9-inch or 10-inch tube pan and spread it out.
Bake the cake for about 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Rotate the mold during baking. Remove from the oven and cool completely upside down on a wire rack, about 3 hours. When cool, run a thin knife around the edge and tap the pan on the counter until the cake releases.
lemon buttercream frosting
1 heaped tablespoon lemon zest
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Peel a large lemon. juice lemon. Add the butter, lemon juice, and lemon zest to the mixer. Mix on medium speed until completely combined, about 2 minutes. Scrape the mixture down the sides of the bowl.
Add 5 cups of powdered sugar to the butter and lemon mixture. Start the mixture on the lowest setting and keep it on low until the butter and sugar are combined. Stop the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl, then increase the speed to medium and mix for an additional 30 to 45 seconds until the frosting is light and fluffy.
Many of us have had eggshells in our mixtures or added too much food coloring. However, baking should be therapeutic, not stressful.