Cafef Au Lait Angel Food Cake
Published: Cooking Light- 04/14/03

INGREDIENTS

Cake:
1 cup sifted cake flour
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons instant espresso granules or 2 tablespoons instant coffee granules
2 tablespoons hot water
12 large egg whites
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Sauce:
3 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 cups 2 percent reduced-fat milk, divided
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
3 tablespoons Frangelico (hazelnut-flavored liqueur)

Remaining ingredient:
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts, toasted

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. To prepare cake, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, 3/4 cup sugar, and cinnamon, stirring with a whisk, and set aside. Combine espresso and hot water, stirring until espresso dissolves; set aside.

3. Place egg whites in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and 1/4 teaspoon salt; beat until soft peaks form. Add 3/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating until stiff peaks form.

4. Beat in espresso mixture and vanilla extract. Sift 1/4 cup flour mixture over egg white mixture; fold in. Repeat procedure with remaining flour mixture, 1/4 cup at a time.

5. Spoon batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan, spreading evenly. Break air pockets by cutting through batter with a knife. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 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 cake onto plate.

6. To prepare sauce, place egg yolks in a large bowl; set aside. Combine 1/2 cup sugar, cornstarch, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan. Gradually add 1/2 cup milk, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Stir in remaining milk. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into the milk mixture; add bean to mixture. Heat milk mixture over medium heat to a boil. Remove from heat; gradually add hot milk mixture to egg yolks, stirring constantly with a whisk.

7. Return milk mixture to pan. Cook mixture over medium heat until thick and bubbly (about 4 minutes), stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Spoon milk mixture into a bowl; place bowl in a large ice-filled bowl for 10 minutes or until milk mixture comes to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Remove bowl from ice; stir in liqueur. Cover and chill completely.

8. Remove and discard vanilla bean. Serve angel food cake with sauce, and sprinkle with toasted hazelnuts.

YIELD: 12 servings (serving size: 1 cake slice, about 3 tablespoons sauce, and 2 teaspoons hazelnuts)

NUTRITIONAL INFO
CALORIES 271 (18 percent from fat); FAT 5.5g (sat 1.4g, mono 3g, poly 0.6g); PROTEIN 7.7g; CARB 46.8g; FIBER 0.6g; CHOL 58mg; IRON 1.1mg; SODIUM 162mg; CALC 90mg