Angel Food Cake Stuffed with Whipped Cream and Berries

Makes 12 servings

This cake can be made much easier by used a bought angel food cake and cool whip (both of which I’ve done before). It tastes just as good.

ingredients

Berries:
2 cups fresh raspberries
1 1/2 cups fresh blackberries
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
Cake:
1 cup cake flour (about 4 ounces)
1 cup powdered sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 cup granulated sugar
12 large egg whites
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
Whipped cream:
3/4 cup whipping cream, chilled
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
3/4 cup powdered sugar
Remaining ingredients:
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Grated orange rind (optional)

directions

1
To prepare berries, combine first 5 ingredients; toss to combine. Cover and chill 1 hour.
2
Preheat oven to 375°.
3
To prepare cake, place a rack in the lower third of oven. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Sift together flour, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, and ginger in a medium bowl. Sift together remaining 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 3/4 cup granulated sugar in another bowl. Place egg whites in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and salt; beat until soft peaks form. Add powdered and granulated sugar mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Sift flour mixture over egg white mixture, 1/4 cup at a time; fold in. Fold in 2 tablespoons juice.
4
Spoon batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan, spreading evenly. Break air pockets by cutting through batter with a knife. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Invert pan; cool completely. Loosen cake from sides of pan using a narrow metal spatula. Invert the cake onto a plate.
5
Cut 1 inch off top of cake using a serrated knife; set top of cake aside. Hollow out bottom of cake using a small knife, leaving a 1-inch-thick shell; reserve torn cake for another use.
6
To prepare whipped cream, place cream in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until soft peaks form. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into bowl; discard pod. Gradually add 3/4 cup powdered sugar, beating at high speed until stiff peaks form.
7
Spoon all but 1 cup of berry mixture into cake shell; top with whipped cream. Replace top of cake; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons powdered sugar. Serve immediately with additional berry mixture; garnish with orange rind, if desired.
8
Whipped Cream Basics: For perfect whipped cream, use a bowl that’s large enough to allow the cream to double in volume. Refrigerate the bowl and beaters for at least half an hour, or place them in the freezer for 15 minutes, and make sure the cream is very cold. Use the freshest whipping cream available, and add sugar, vanilla, or any other ingredients near the end of whipping; adding them too soon in the process will decrease the amount of volume you achieve.