Guys . . . where have you been? I’ve been waiting here for ages and nothing! Jeez. ????
Really though, you’ve been super patient with me, and that means a lot. Before I get into catching you up on my life, let’s talk about cake and happiness, okay? That’s what brings us, and has always brought us together, right? So it seemed only right to bring cake to our sweet reunion.
This week I felt compelled to make angel food cake–super sweet unicorn style. I think because spring (my favourite season) is kind-of-almost-sort-of in the air, I have got the Easter pastels on my mind, but my heart wanted to fluff it up a bit. Remember when we made the Perfectly Pink Angel Food Cake awhile back? Well, honestly, that cake is one of the most incredibly dream-like cakes I have ever made, and it felt “perfectly” perfect for this pastel unicorn version.
So what makes an angel food cake a Unicorn Angel Cake? Well, really I only deemed it as such after I sliced it, but the colours, the layers, the sprinkles and, well, the dose of magic I spied when I admired it all together for the first time made it so. And who am I to turn a blind eye upon sprinkly-cake-magic?
That said, I know it’s a bit more, hmm . . . freestyle looking in its frosting and possibly disheveled appearance, but honestly the texture and taste are nothing short of a dream, and it takes no cake decorating prowess whatsoever–you just generously dollop and swirl. A good old soup spoon does the trick! (And cakelets of all ages LOVE this type of decorating.)
The cake is a classic angel food texture with 14 egg whites, superfine sugar and even a generous hit of confectioners’ sugar in the mix for the most tender and light as air, spongy texture. After each fluffy, pastel mountain of cake slowly compresses against your plate when you wriggle your fork down to cut a generous bite, it bounces back in front of your eyes (in true angel cake fashion), and it literally melts in your mouth. The swirls of billowy marshmallow frosting are satiny and quite sweet with their nostalgic “meringuey-ness,” but then each bite finishes with the pleasant and subtle crunch and candy-like flavour that only sprinkles can bring.
Unlike a “traditional” rainbow cake, we can’t bake the layers in separate pans, so all we do is divide the batter (very gently, since angel food batter is extremely delicate–we won’t want to deflate it in any way) evenly into 3 and gently fold in the desired colours.
Then we simply add the batter “layers” one at a time and spread gently with spatula (just ensure you don’t blend with the batter/colour below). Oh, and don’t forget that if you are going for a certain order of coloured “layers,” that the top will be the bottom. :)
You can see in the photo above, that purple did show through the top–I wasn’t sure what to expect, and if the colours would look more blended when I cut the cake, but they actually kept their layers quite nicely! The slightly rounded look to those layers is the result of the batter being pulled upwards while rising. Kind of neat, actually.
You’ll notice that the baked cake has a thin layer of the golden “crust” all over it. If we were leaving this cake exposed, I would have taken the time to gently remove that when the cake was first removed from the pan, because the only time you can really do this without scraping off actual cake, is when it’s super hot, and the crust is soft. I did this on the top turquoise layer of the cake, and you can see in the photo how lovely that is. Honestly, though, when you’re smothering the cake in mounds of marshmallow frosting, you don’t need to worry about taking the time do that.
That said, if we were going to go all white with the cake and frosting, I probably would take that time, so we had a purely angelic white cake + frosting.
Sprinkles! Who would have guessed? Hehe. Truth be told, you could add absolutely any sprinkles in the universe to this cake. Or none, for that matter. But I opted for one of my new Easter-inspired sprinkles filled with bunnies, chicks, chocolatey-ness and more, called Peep Show. Seemed like a perfect fit! (I know that sounds like a shameless sprinkle-shop plug, but I just know you sprinkle-lovers would email me and ask me where I got the sprinkles!).
A bit of a beautiful mess, but it does seem that the most luscious cakes are. Don’t you agree?
Spongy, sweet, tender, moist, angelic, fluffy, billowy, meringue-y, satiny and–whoop!–crunchy. The ultimate.
Hooray!
You can modify this angel food cake and marshmallow frosting in so many ways to boast your favourite colour, combination of colours, flavours and even sprinkles. What’s your dream cake?
So, here we go, friends!
- 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons 140 g cake flour
- 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons 150 g confectioners' sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups 13-14 egg whites, room temperature (left out about 1 hour)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons 180 g superfine sugar (see Sweetapolita's Notes)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract--see Notes
- 1/8 teaspoon almond extract see Notes
- Pink Purple and Turquoise soft gel paste food color (see Notes)
- 6 egg whites 180 g
- 1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons 390 g granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons 45 g light corn syrup (see Notes)
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- Pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
- Purple soft gel paste food color see Notes
- Sprinkles of your choice I used Sweetapolita "Peep Show Sprinkle Medley"
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Arrange oven rack to the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Sift the cake flour, confectioners' sugar and salt together 4 times. Set aside.
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Wipe the bowl and whisk attachment of an electric mixer with paper towel and lemon juice, to remove any trace of grease. Add the egg whites and beat on the lowest speed until they start to become frothy, about 30 seconds. Stop the mixer and sprinkle the cream of tartar over the egg whites. Beat on medium speed until the egg whites thicken just slightly and you can see swirl lines in the mixture from the whisk (very soft peaks), about 1 minute. Add the superfine sugar 1 tablespoon at a time and beat until the egg whites thicken and reach soft/medium, droopy (not stiff) peaks, 1-2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and almond extract.
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Remove the bowl from the mixer. Sift the dry ingredients 1/4 at a time on top of the meringue and fold gently but thoroughly with a rubber spatula.
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Divide the batter evenly into 3 bowls and add a few drops of each colour to create each tinted batter layer by folding every so gently until blended: few drops Soft Pink to one bowl; Regal Purple to another; turquoise to the third.
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Gently transfer the batter, one layer at a time, to an ungreased 10" angel food cake pan and smoothing each with a small offset spatula or back of a spoon. Bake on the lower rack of the oven until the top of the cake springs back when touched lightly, and when a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Don't check the cake before 35 minutes, or you could deflate your cake, but also try not to over-bake.
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Remove the cake from the oven and invert the whole pan onto a wire rack so it cools upside down. Let cool for one hour and then loosen sides around the center and outside of the cake using a thin metal spatula or knife. Gently coax the cake out of the pan onto the wire rack and let cool completely. Take your time with this step--you can even use your fingers to loosed the bottom edges, by reaching down between the cake and the pan, pushing the cake away from the sides. It will bounce right back. Do this all around the bottom before pulling the cake out of the pan.
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Wipe the bowl and whisk attachment of an electric mixer with paper towel and lemon juice, to remove any trace of grease. Add egg whites, sugar, corn syrup, cream of tartar and salt and simmer over a pot of water (not boiling), whisking constantly but gently, until temperature reaches 130°F (54°C) on a candy thermometer.
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Return the bowl to the stand mixer and beat on low speed for 2 minutes, then increase the speed to medium and beat for 2 more minutes. Increase the speed to high and beat until it is very thick and glossy, about 5 minutes. Add vanilla and food colour, if using, and beat to combine. Best used right away (for best texture to apply frosting to the cake--after that it's best enjoyed up to 1-2 days at room temperature).
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Place the cake wide end down onto a cake plate, board or pedestal. Pile the frosting on top of the cake and use a metal spatula to spread the frosting from the top down. Create swirls using the back of a spoon and sprinkle with your favourite sprinkles. Slice cake using a serrated knife in a gentle sawing motion. Cake keeps at room temperature for up to 2 days. Best enjoyed day 1 (the cake stays very moist for days, but marshmallow frosting is best enjoyed sooner than later).
Sweetapolita’s Notes:
- Sugar: I use “superfine” sugar for most of my cake and meringue recipes, as it lends to a lighter cake and dissolves quickly into meringue, etc. This is simply a finer grain of granulated sugar that you can purchase as such (also referred to as caster sugar, baking sugar, and more), but I just buy regular granulated sugar and process it for about 60-90 seconds until it is, well, superfine. :)
- Flour: I used Swan’s Down Cake Flour this time, but I typically use either Robin Hood or Five Roses brand. And remember–you can make your own cake flour in a snap: for every needed cup of cake flour, measure 1 cup of bleached all-purpose flour and remove 2 tablespoons from that cup (some bakers prefer to replace those 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour with 2 tablespoons cornstarch, but I choose not to), so 1 cup bleached all-purpose flour minus 2 tablespoons = 1 cup of cake flour. Learn more about flour in my past post, Bring Me Flours.
- Light Corn Syrup: You’ll often see marshmallow and candy-related recipes calling for Light Corn Syrup. The term “light” means that it is clear, and not golden, not “light” as in less sugar. I, being in Canada, use Lily White brand, and in the US, a popular brand is Karo Light Corn Syrup.
- Colour: For the food colour in the cake itself, I used a few drops of Turquoise by Americolor, Soft Pink and Regal Purple, and then just the Regal Purple for the frosting, but as I mentioned in the “Perfectly Pink Angel Food Cake” post, you can certainly go all white–that is always so angelic and classic. You can use any colours/brand you prefer, but I do like the concentrated soft gel paste because it only takes a few drops and won’t break down any of your batter of frostings.
- Equipment: I used a classic 10-Inch Angel Food Cake Pan
, but I also recommend one with a removable bottom (like this 2-Piece Angel Food Pan
if you’re going out to buy a new one, otherwise I did just fine with the classic style), particularly if you might opt to serve the cake without frosting. With coaxing the cake does come out of the classic pan just fine, but it tends to take the very thin brown top “crust” off the cake, which I loved for a cake that will boast frosting (typically not a big fan of the brown cake crust).
- Flavouring: This time, I used Nielsen Massey Madgascar Bourbon Vanilla Bean Paste for both the cake and the frosting. You can certainly use pure vanilla extract (I suggest a good quality one), though. I also used Nielsen Massey Almond Extract in the cake (a hint of this in almost anything vanilla or chocolate is like magic).
- Sprinkles: You can find the adorable Peep Show Sprinkles here in my shop, or of course use any sprinkles that make you happy!
- Make Ahead: You can make the actual cake up to 1 day ahead and keep wrapped in plastic wrap at room temp, but the frosting you should make right before applying to cake. Once paired with the cake, they are best-enjoyed by day 2.
See you SOON with more happiness!
ah, this cake is so perfect! I absolutely love the colors and the fluffy frosting. Perfect way to celebrate spring!!
Thanks so much, Beth :) Always so nice to see your name pop up! xo
Absolutely perfect! Love this. And love that you’re back ;)!
Thanks, Mar! I will make this for you guys! xo
Sweetapolita is baaack, yay!!! Considering this cake uses about 20 egg whites, would pasteurized liquid egg whites (from a carton) yield good results? I would know what to do with 20 egg yolks! Thank you :-)
I meant “wouldN’T know what to do with the egg yolks”… ;-)
You could make a big batch of lemon curd! Yum!
Definitely! :)
Good idea, but but could liquid egg whites be used? It’s just so convenient!
Hi Rosie,
Love love love your cake!! Are there any adjustments needed for baking this cake at higher altitudes? I live in Calgary. Also what do you do with all the egg yolks left over? Thanks for all your sprinkly inspired cakes
Love love love this! I cannot wait for spring too. Glad to see you back sharing your lovely creations with us – you have been missed!
Thanks so much Jolena! xo
Welcome back!! I have missed your posts, and your incredible photography! This cake looks heavenly!
Looks dreamy! So glad you’re back and looking forward to being caught up on your life!
So nice to see you back Rosie! What a gorgeous cake.
Beautiful & amazing as only you can do my sweet bestie, love you to pieces. This cake is everything. You’re magic xoxo 4ever <3 <3 <3
This post made my day! Can’t wait to try this amazingly cake :) and am so glad you are back!
Thank you, sweet Adrienne! xo
So glad you’re back! Yay! And of course, thank you for creating yet another brilliant, vibrant, delicious dessert recipe.
Glad you are back Rosie! Love this dreamy cake – it’s all perfect!
Thanks so much, Roshini! That means a lot! xo
I am glad that you are back with your marvelous cakes. I actually don’t like cakes. :p I definitely have a sweet tooth but I am not cake kind of a girl. But yours are so sweet to my eyes, so it is always a pleasure to take a look at the photos and read the story. Thanks.
That’s so kind, Serap! Thanks so much xo
So happy to have you back!!! Checked out your page today for a recipe for my son’s birthday (tomorrow) and was really pleasantly surprised at my timing!
Thanks so much, Sara! Happy Birthday to your son! :)
When you grind down your sugar do you grind and then measure?
Hi Bryn! So what I do is grind my sugar all at once when I buy it, and then keep it in a jar on the counter. So I always measure (weigh) after it’s been ground. Hope that helps!
Thank you! I cannot wait to make this for Easter! My girls are so over the bunny and chick cakes, but I love making them something special. This will definitely fit the bill!
I love Angel Food Cake but I’ve never attempted making one. But this one…this is magically inspiring *swoon*! I am seriously in need of getting an Angel Food Cake Pan now. Your cakes always make me so HAPPY as they are absolutely beautiful!!! Thanks for coming back, I’ve missed these wonderful works of art and your photos…wow! Love it :) <3
This is such a beautiful cake! I think I have the perfect occasion to try and make it :)
Also just wanted to say welcome back, Rosie! I have always been a silent reader but wanted to share with you how great it is to see you back on the blog, your recipes and blog have been a huge inspiration for me during the past few years – I always come here first to look for cake inspiration and always use your chocolate cake/buttercream recipes for my cakes. I’ve been wanting to purchase your cookbook too which will be the very first cookbook I would have purchased! Looking forward to more posts in the future!
Best,
Ankita
Thank you so much, Ankita. That’s really such a wonderful compliment! So nice to have you here :) xo
Hi Rosie! Once again you have made a beautiful whimsical cake that I couldn’t wait to try! Do you ever make the meringue frosting without corn syrup? Only asking because the cake is in currently in the oven and I just realized I am out of corn syrup. Thanks!
Hi Rachel!
So happy you’re making the cake! I have used Swiss Meringue Frosting for cake frosting, and it is amazing still. You can find that recipe here (I would make a half batch): https://sweetapolita.com/2015/02/meringue-dream-cake/. Hope that helps, hun! xo
You’re back! Believe it or not, I have checked this page every day since your last post, which I realize is almost a year ago! Happy to have you back :)
You’re amazing, and you just made my night. Another post coming this week! xo
Hi Rosie, I really wanted this cake for my daughter first birthday. Can i use 9×2 inches round cake pan? What is the adjustment for temperature and cooking time.
Your blog got me into baking and your book was the first cookbook I bought with my own pocket money. So it’s safe to say that I am absolutely elated to see you back on the blog!
You are truly an inspiration Rosie
Hope life is treating you well and there is more from where this came from!
P.S. This cake looks ravishing :)
Much Love
This looks magical and delicious!!
Ahhh I’ve been missing your magical creations so much, as well as your whimsical internet presence <3 Great to see another baked good emerge, cheers!
You’re back!! I can’t tell you how excited I was when I saw this beautiful post! I hope everything in your life is going OK! Lots of well wishes and hugs your way! Again, soooooo happy to see your post! Very best!!
I am currently making this cake for my daughter’s 6th birthday. I did notice that the meringue was perfect until I added the gel color to the different bowls it seems like it was deflating. It looks fine in the oven right now but just wondering what I should do next time to prevent that from happening??
Thanks
Wow!! you made my day today. I was just exploring the internet and found your website. I loved your recipes and the way you present.
One word- ‘WOW’ . This is one of the most delightful and magical Cake i have seen . As soon As my little sister saw this , she wanted me to make this cake for her. The color of the Cake, textures and also the presentation definitely will Grab anyone’s attention. I am Going to try this at home for my sister. Keep posting more. Thank You
I love your ideas!! you have such great invention and good to see the new idea for this kind of baking. Cheers!!
Keep helping us.
– Way2flowers Team
thank you so much for sharing this blog with us. And thank you for sharing the recipe too. I will surely try it at home and tell you how it was.
This is perfect recipe and its great tips for healthy. All Kids love this type of cake every time and i am crazy to make this cake at my kitchen.Thanks for sharing!
Regards
https://onlinecake.in
Just Imagine! Easy recipe and want to try this cake at home.Thanks for sharing.
Regards
https://onlinecake.in/
This is the perfect thing for kids. They gonna love its colors and taste. thanks for sharing the recipe.
aww what a cute dessert! The process is also easy and didn’t take much time :D Really loves the presentation of the cake :D Thank you for sharing the recipe too!
Hello! Well this post is about a year old and it’s been a year since the last post. I hope we don’t have to wait much longer.
That said,
this cake is divine! I love the freestyle look of this cake in combination with the vibrant, beautiful colors (as usual).
I’m so used to angel food cakes coming in the “standard” form. This is such a creative alternative.
Much love from Germany!
This blog is so inspirational, I can’t wait to get my cookbook in the mail!
I tried it , really thanks it makes my day
I’m going for it! Daughters 2nd bday party, Angel unicorn CUPCAKES, your unicorn cupcake liners and toppers, the 3 coloring gels and extracts you used, your peep show sprinkles….with the unicorn floss cotton candy on top. Marshmallow frosting piped with the wide tip. Practice running everything before the big event. Thanks for all the detailed instructions.
Wow looks so good. I love the colors
thank you so much for sharing this post. And a million thank you for sharing this recipe too. I will give it a try in my next kitchen project.