Birthday Angel Food Cupcakes
These delightful angel food cupcakes are a festive treat for any birthday. The light sponge is flavoured with vanilla and lemon zest, then studded with colourful sprinkles. They are topped with a smooth cream cheese and double cream frosting and finished with more sprinkles. The recipe yields 12 cupcakes and takes about 40 minutes from start to finish.
Ingredients
- For the Cupcakes
- Cooking spray
- 1/2 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
- 1/2 cup icing sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 3 tablespoons rainbow sprinkles, plus more for decorating
- 5 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- For the Frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup icing sugar
- 1 1/2 cups double cream
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Method
- You will need white cupcake liners. Place an oven rack in the centre of your oven and heat it to 160°C. Prepare a 12-cup muffin tin with the liners and give them a light coating of cooking spray.
- Sift the cake flour, icing sugar and fine salt into a medium bowl using a fine sieve. Mix in the rainbow sprinkles and set this bowl to one side.
- Put the egg whites into a bowl and use an electric mixer on medium speed to beat them until frothy, which should take about 2 minutes. Add the cream of tartar and continue beating for another 2 minutes until soft peaks form.
- Slowly add the granulated sugar, about one tablespoon at a time. Turn the mixer speed up to medium-high and keep beating for roughly 5 minutes until the peaks are stiff and glossy. Beat in the vanilla extract and finely grated lemon zest, then take the bowl off the mixer stand.
- Gently fold a quarter of the flour and sprinkle mixture into the egg whites using a rubber spatula. Add the remaining flour mixture in three more parts, folding it in carefully each time.
- Evenly portion the batter into the prepared muffin cups, mounding it slightly above the liners. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes until the cupcakes spring back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Leave them to cool in the pan briefly before moving to a wire rack to cool fully. The cupcakes can be prepared a day ahead and kept in an airtight container.
- For the frosting, combine the cream cheese and icing sugar in a medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth. Add the double cream and vanilla extract and continue beating until the mixture holds stiff peaks. This frosting can be made and chilled for up to 1 hour before you need it.
- To serve, place a generous spoonful of frosting on top of each cooled cupcake. Use the back of a spoon to create a slight swirl in the frosting. Finish by decorating each one with extra rainbow sprinkles.
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition data not available.
Recipe details
CategoryCooking spray
Cuisineamerican
AuthorFood Network Kitchens
