Take this incredible cake to a Fourth of July party and you will have the whole neighborhood lining up.
- 1 cup (140 g) Pamela's All-Purpose Flour
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1¾ cup fresh egg whites, room temperature (approximately 18 large eggs)
- ¼ cup warm water
- 1½ teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar FOR THE FROSTING
- 1 ⅓ cups cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups Vanilla Frosting Mix, sifted
- ⅔ cup heavy cream BERRIES
- 24 ounces fresh strawberries
- 16 ounces fresh blueberries (you may have some left over)
Yield:
TO MAKE THE CAKE: Preheat oven to 350° with rack in the center.
Sift together All-Purpose Flour Artisan Blend, powdered sugar and salt. Repeat sifting the mixture four or five times. Set aside.
In an electric stand mixer with whisk attachment, whisk egg whites, warm water, cream of tartar, vanilla, and almond extract on medium-high speed until combined. Gradually add the granulated sugar in three or four batches. After two or three minutes, soft peaks will form. Once this happens, turn speed to high and beat for another two minutes, until a stiff and glossy meringue forms. Transfer meringue to a large wide bowl.
Add flour mixture to meringue in four batches, using a rubber spatula to gently fold the flour into the meringue. Be gentle and quick, so as not to deflate the meringue.
Put batter into a 10-inch ungreased tube pan. Run knife around batter briefly to remove any large air bubbles and then smooth top with spatula. Pan will be very full. Put pan into center of oven and bake 45 to 55 minutes, until golden brown. Cake should spring back when touched and not be sticky.
To cool, turn tube pan upside down either resting on the feet attached to the pan or placed with center hole over a bottle, so that cake surface is lifted off of counter. Cooling the cake upside down while still in the pan helps the cake keep its volume. Let cool for at least one hour.
Once cool, use a long knife to cut around sides and center post of cake to loosen cake from pan. Remove cake from pan. Let finish cooling on a rack in the open air. This will help to dry out the sides.
When cake is completely cool, use a long serrated knife to cut the cake into three layers, making the bottom layer a little taller than the other two. To make sure the cake is cut in straight layers, you can mark your cutting lines by using a ruler and serrated knife to mark around the cake where you are to cut.
TO MAKE THE FROSTING: In a medium bowl, whip heavy cream into stiff peaks. Set aside.
Place cream cheese into bowl of electric stand mixer with whisk attachment; beat on medium-low until smooth. Gradually add about a third of Vanilla Frosting Mix and beat into cream cheese. Scrape down sides of the bowl and mix again. Repeat two more times with remaining Vanilla Frosting Mix. Finally mix for 2 to 3 minutes at medium speed until frosting is totally lump-free and smooth.
Remove bowl from mixer and gently fold whipped cream into frosting mixture. Fold until fully combined with no lumps or streaks.
© Pamela's Products, Inc.