City Woman Has Best Cake at Farm Show

A Bethlehem woman won the distinction of having the best Angel Food Cake at the Pennsylvania Farm Show.

Catharine Ache, who lives in West Bethlehem, and her Angel Food Cake with Raspberries bested 65 other bakers in the farm show’s “Incredible Angel Food Cake Contest” on Sunday.

The cakes were judged based on a list of criteria, including surface texture and color, inner texture and lightness, smell, taste, flavoring, creativity, and topping or icing. The contest was sponsored by Pennsylvania’s Egg Farmers.

The winning recipe is as follows:

Angel Food Cake with Raspberries

Cake Batter

• 1 cup cake flour
• 1 ½ cups Confectioners Sugar
• 12 egg whites, room temperature
• 1 ½ teaspoons cream of tartar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup Superfine granulated sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Heat oven to 375°F. Stir the flour and Confectioners Sugar together, sift three times and set aside. 
In a large grease-free bowl, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt until foamy. Add 1 cup of Superfine granulated sugar very gradually, beating on high speed of electric mixer until meringue forms and holds stiff peaks. Add the vanilla and almond extracts. With mixer on lowest speed, gradually add the flour/Confectioners Sugar mixture over the beaten egg whites and gently fold in until all the flour disappears. Push the batter into an ungreased 10” X 4” angel food tube pan. Cut through the batter with a knife to break up any air bubbles that may have formed.
 Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until top springs back when touched lightly. Remove from the oven, invert cake pan on a funnel or the neck of a glass bottle and cool completely before trying to remove from the pan. When completely cool, run a sharp knife around the edges of the pan and carefully remove cake onto a serving plate.

Icing

• 2 pounds of Confectioners Sugar
• 2/3 cup boiling water, less 4 teaspoons
• 4 teaspoons pure Vanilla Extract
• 1 teaspoon butter flavoring
• ¼ teaspoon lemon extract
• ¼ teaspoon orange extract
• ½ cup butter, room temperature
• 2 ½ cups white vegetable shortening
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces of cream cheese, softened

Combine and mix first six ingredients in electric mixer for five minutes on high speed. Add butter, Crisco, salt and cream cheese. Beat an additional five minutes.

Filling and decoration

24 ounces of fresh red raspberries plus icing from above recipe

Assembly

When cake is completely cooled, run a long, sharp knife along the edge of the pan. Carefully remove cake from the pan. Place on wax paper-lined plate. Brush off loose crumbs. With a long, sharp serrated knife, cut the cake horizontally into three even layers. Place each layer on wax paper until ready to assemble the cake. Place the first layer on a serving plate. Spread cake with one cup of icing; place raspberries on top. Repeat process with second and third layers. Ice the top and sides of the cake. Pipe a decorative border on cake and decorate with the rest of the raspberries. Sprinkle with edible glitter, if desired.