Alright, bear with me. This cake is a thing of beauty and yes, it really is a version of wine and cheese- delicate angel food cake made with sauvignon blanc and creamy frosting made with sweet and tangy mascarpone cheese. It is heavenly. Don't get me wrong- an extra glass of wine and a plate of cheese is a real dessert to me. I don't need something confectionary to end my meal but the beauty of this dessert is that it's not overly sweet. It's perfectly balanced in sweetness and tanginess, lightness and richness.
You can use any white wine in this cake. I chose sauvignon blanc for two reasons- one, it's what I always drink and two, it lends nice citrus and grassy notes to the cake. But if you're a chardonnay lady, go for a chardonnay cake. If you love all the pinot grigios, make this cake with pinot grigio. You be you.
Bowl #1
1 1/2 cups [375 grams] egg whites
3 tablespoons white wine
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
Bowl #2
3/4 cup [165 grams] granulated sugar
Bowl #3
1 cup [145 grams] all-purpose flour
3/4 cup [165 grams] granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons corn starch
On the sidelines:
Mascarpone frosting, recipe as follows
Grapes for decorating, totally optional
1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Have a tube pan waiting on the side. Do not grease the pan- I repeat, do not grease the pan.
2
In the first bowl, beat the ingredients until frothy and almost doubled in volume. This will probably take a few minutes on medium-low speed.
3
After a few minutes, slowly add the sugar from the second bowl into the egg white mixture. Seriously, add this sugar only one tablespoon at a time over the course of a few minutes. You'll notice the egg white mixture turn white, become glossy and much more voluminous. Beat this mixture to just barely stiffened peaks.
4
Whisk together the dry ingredients from the third bowl and using a sifter, sift the dry ingredients over the egg white mixture. Don't sift it all on top at once- sift a little add a time and then fold the mixture together. Sift a little bit more and fold again. Sift and fold. Sift and fold. Until all the dry ingredients have been added and incorporated.
5
Carefully pour the batter into the ungreased tube pan and smooth the top. Bake until the cake is set and golden brown, roughly 45 minutes. Remove.
6
Here's the thing about angel food cakes- they have to be cooled upside-down. YES. So get out a few drinking glasses and place the hot cake pan on top of the glasses, upside down. I promise you, the cake will not fall out. This is why we didn't grease it!
7
Let it cool for four or five hours upside down. When ready, invert the cake pan and run a small, sharp knife carefully around the sides to unmold the cake.
8
Top with the mascarpone frosting and garnish with grapes, if so desired.
Mascarpone Frosting
Bowl #1
1 1/2 cups [200 grams] powdered sugar
1/2 cup [125 grams] mascarpone cheese
3 tablespoons milk
Pinch salt
1
With an electric mixer or stand mixer, beat everything together until light and fluffy.
