Mini Angel Food Cake with Roasted Berries

Hopefully you’re a last-minute planner, like me! If you are, you’re in luck because I just found the perfect recipe for your July 4th party. Or any summer party!

Seriously. It’s a great crowd pleaser. I’m normally a chocolate lover…but sometimes it’s great to mix it up and have something fruity and less rich. Especially when it’s been in the 90’s all week! Do you love or loath the hot weather? I prefer anything in the mid-70’s, so I’m not loving this weather. I do love a summer thunderstorm, but it’s been nothing but sticky heat in Cleveland. I try to remind myself that it won’t last and in 3 months everyone will be wearing coats again.

It starts with mini angel food cakes (but it’s actually just cupcakes flipped upside down), topped with bursting roasted berries (red and blue, of course), topped with a dollop of freshly whipped cream. Yum!

I was inspired by those little yellow cakes at the grocery store. Does your grocery store have those? They are usually by the strawberries and they are little angel food cakes with divots for the strawberries. But don’t buy those! Make these instead. You only need 7 ingredients and a little bit of patients.

I love this because it’s not an over the top red, white, blue colored dessert, but people will get the hint. If you already have your July 4th dessert planned out (good job to you!) bookmark the recipe for later and have fun experimenting with different fruits. I was very tempted to use roasted cherries! They would be amazing. Roasting the fruit brings out their natural sweetness. It’s also a lifesaver if the fruit is bland or too hard. Roasting the fruit solves all those problems. And it creates this beautiful syrup you can drizzle on the cupcakes. I think I could eat just the fruit with whipped cream and I’d be happy!

You’ll have some roasted fruit left over and I can think of soooo many ways to use it up! In ice cream, yogurt, on waffles, toast, oatmeal…the options are endless.

Have a great 4th everyone!

Mini Angel Food Cake with Roasted Berries

From north coast eats at https://northcoasteats.com/angel-food-cakes-roasted-berries/

https://northcoasteats.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/berry-0340.jpg

Yield: Serves 8 people

Light and fluffy angel food cake, sweet roasted berries, and homemade whipped cream.

You'll Need...

ROASTED FRUIT
1 pound strawberries
1 cup blueberries
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ a lemon juiced and zested
½ teaspoon arrowroot powder or cornstarch
½ teaspoon cinnamon
ANGEL FOOD CAKE
¾ cup sugar (divided) pulsed in food processor to superfine sugar
½ cup cake flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 egg whites
1 tablespoon water
¾ teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla
WHIPPED CREAM:
½ pint heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons sugar

Directions

Roast the fruit: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Dump everything in an 8 x 8 inch dish. Roast in oven 25 minutes, stirring once. Set aside to cool.
Make the mini cakes: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Whisk 1/4 cup sugar with the flour and salt. Sift mixture. In a medium bowl, whip egg whites, water, cream of tartar, ½ cup sugar until soft peaks form. Slowly add the sifted ingredients to the egg white mixture. Gently mix to combine everything. Place batter in a greased muffin tin. Cook 10 – 15 minutes, until inserted toothpick has a few dry crumbs attached. Remove from tin and cool.
Make the whipped cream: Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and whip until medium-soft peaks form.
Assemble the dessert: place 1 upside down cupcake on a plate. Layer with a large dollop of whipped cream, another upside down cupcakes, more whipped cream, and finish with a spoonful of the roasted fruit.
Best if enjoyed the same day.