Heavenly Angel Food Cake / Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

This is a classic angel food cake that I made for Easter.  I made it in a 9″ x 13″ baking pan, but you may also bake it in an ungreased angel food cake pan or in 3 ungreased (9-inch) round pans.  The cake and frosting are delicous, but my husband and I thought the frosting was too sweet.  My daughter loved it.  I think, though, it would be good for a drizzle over a hot cake.

This makes quite a large cake.  Bigger than an angel food cake mix.  I beat my egg whites in my mixer and they came right to the top of my pan.  Then I transferred them to a bigger bowl to fold in the sugar mixture.

This was such a good angel food cake mix, I am anxious to try it some different ways.

• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups egg whites
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line bottom and sides of a 13″ x 9″ pan with aluminum foil, allowing 2 to 3 inches to extend over sides of pan.  (Do not grease pan or foil.)  Sift together first 3 ingredients.

Beat egg whites and cream of tartar at high speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until stiff peaks form.  Gradually fold in sugar mixture, 1/3 cup at a time, folding just until blended after each addition.  Fold in vanilla and lemon juice.  Spoon batter into prepared pan.  (Pan will be very full.  The batter will reach almost to the top of the pan.)

Bake at 375 degrees on an oven rack one-third up from bottom of oven 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean.  Invert cake onto a lightly greased wire rack; let cool, with pan over cake, 1 hour or until completely cool.  Remove pan; peel foil off cake.  Transfer cake to a serving platter.  Spread Lemon-Cream Cheese Frosting evenly over top of cake.  Garnish, if desired.

Times for angel food cake pan is also 30 to 35 minutes, and 9-inch round pans is 15 to a18 minutes.

Serves 15.

Lemon-Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 1/2 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 (16-oz) package powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest

Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; add lemon juice, beating just until blended.  Gradually add powdered sugar, beating a low speed until blended; stir in lemon zest.

“Stay close to God and you will never be the same.”