Try this Angel Food Cupcakes with Coconut Frosting recipe
- Carbohydrate 22.0509407075454 g
- Cholesterol 1.86874999842025 mg
- Fat 10.1345841244046 g
- Fiber 0.39977584286208 g
- Protein 5.00257953234452 g
- Saturated Fat 8.60078108992898 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (109g)
- Sodium 4696.5208590975 mg
- Sugar 21.6511648646833 g
- Trans Fat 0.729511673540703 g
- Calories 196 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 360. Line muffin pan with cups.
- In medium bowl, sift cake flour and confectioners sugar four times; set aside
- In large bowl, beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until foamy. Add cream of tartar and continue beating until soft peaks form.
- Gradually add sugar, 1 tb at a time, until mixture is very stiff. Mix in vanilla extract.
- Quickly fold flour mixture into egg whites. Pour batter into pan, filling each cup half-way.
- Bake for 16-18 mins, or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove and cool on wire rack for at least an hour.
- Spoon refrigerated coconut milk into small bowl. Add sugar and vanilla, and mix (electric) until it resembles whipped cream. Add a drop of food coloring, mix.
- Frost cupcakes and garnish each with strawberry slice.
The Chemistry of Egg Whites
Egg whites form the entire structural foundation of angel food batter, relying solely on trapped air rather than chemical leaveners like baking powder. Sifting the cake flour and confectioners sugar four times aerates the dry ingredients so they integrate smoothly without deflating the delicate meringue. Beating the whites with a pinch of salt until foamy before adding cream of tartar stabilizes the protein bonds, allowing them to hold the sugar added one tablespoon at a time.
Adapting the Pan Size
Nineteenth-century American cookery books popularized angel food as a monumental tube-cake baked in ungreased metal molds that allowed the batter to climb upward. Dividing that same batter into muffin cups alters the thermal dynamics, requiring a baking temperature of 360 degrees Fahrenheit for 16 to 18 minutes. Leaving the pans ungreased remains essential because the batter needs traction to rise along the paper cups instead of sliding back down.
Plant-Based Meringue Alternatives
Chilling canned coconut milk overnight separates the solid fats from the watery liquid, yielding a thick cream that whips into a dairy-based frosting substitute with sugar and vanilla. Storing leftover frosted cupcakes in an airtight refrigerator container for up to 48 hours keeps the coconut topping stable, though the sponge will gradually absorb moisture from the garnish over time.
