Meyer Lemon Angel Food Cake with Meyer Lemon Curd

Angel Food Cake

1. Place oven rack on bottom third of oven. Preheat oven to 325°.
2. Place egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on low speed until frothy.
3. Add the cream of tartar and salt. Turn the mixer up to medium speed and beat until eggs start to develop soft peaks.

   

4. Add sugar, 1 tbsp. at a time, beating on medium speed until sugar is incorporated and mixture is smooth and glossy.
5. Add vanilla extract, zest and lemon juice, beating until just combined.
6. Sift flour over the egg mixture and gently fold flour into eggs.

   

7. Scrape batter into a 10 inch ungreased tube pan and smooth top with a spatula.

   

8. Tap pan on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles.
9. Bake until top of cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 50-55 minutes.
10. If your tube pan has prongs, turn the cake over onto them and let sit for 2 to 3 hours. If your pan does not have prongs, invert cake onto the neck of a bottle or funnel.
11. To unmold, turn cake back over and run a thin knife around the edges of the cake and pan. Slide cake out of the pan.
12. Run the knife around the bottom of the cake and pan to remove cake from bottom of pan.
13. Place on parchment paper bottom side up.

Meyer Lemon Curd

1. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer for 2 minutes.
2. Slowly add the whole eggs and egg yolks. Beat for 1 minute. Mix in the lemon juice. – DON’T PANIC - The mixture will look curdled.
3. In a medium heavy bottomed pan (unreactive), cook the mixture over low heat until it looks smooth.
4. Increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring continuously, until the mixture thickens about 10 minutes. The mixture should leave a line on the back of a wooden spoon and will be 170° on an instant read thermometer. DON’T LET THE MIXTURE BOIL.
5. Remove the curd from the heat and add in the lemon zest.
6. Transfer curd to a bowl and press plastic wrap directly on top of the curd so a crust will not form.
7. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.