Guest Review: Chocolate Chip Macaroon Angel Food Cake

TIP: Cutting angel food with a regular knife will squash the cake. If you don't have an angel food cake comb (above) saw through it with unflavored dental floss.

This recipe comes from Creighton, the 12 year old daughter of two good friends. She has made this -- by herself -- on several occasions. In fact, it was the dessert of honor when her family joined ours for a chicken-and-rib dinner. She did a wonderful job (it's a delicious cake) but I'll leave the rating up to Creighton.

Cake*
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup cake flour (OR 1 cup minus 2 TBS. all-purpose flour)
12 (about 1 1/2 cups) egg whites
1 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
1 miniatureture semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut

Topping
1 cup sweetened whipped cream
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut, toasted

Heat oven to 375-degrees. Stir together powdered sugar and cake flour in small bowl; set aside.

Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in large mixer bowl at medium speed until foamy (1 to 2 minutes). Beat at high speed, gradually adding sugar, 2 TBS. at a time. Continue beating, adding almond extract, vanilla, salt and scraping bowl often, until stiff and glossy (6 to 8 minutes).

Gradually stir flour mixture, 1/4 cup at a time, into egg mixture by hand just until flour mixture disappears. Gently stir in chocolate chips and 1/2 cup coconut.

Gently spoon batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan. Cut gently through batter with metal spatula. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until cracks feel dry and top springs back when touched lightly. Invert pan on heat-proof funnel or bottle; cool 90 minutes. Remove from pan. Decrumb cake with fingertips.

Place cake on serving plate. Pipe top and around bottom of cake with sweetened whipped cream; sprinkle with toasted coconut.

Creighton's Grade: A

*A 16 oz. angel food cake mix can be substituted for the homemade cake, although Creighton always makes her angel food from scratch.

Tags: baking, cooking, Angel Food Cake, dessert, chocolate chip macaroon