Angel Food Cupcakes
3/4 cups + 2 Tblsp sugar
1/2 cup cake flour
1/4 tsp salt
6 egg whites, at room temperature
2 1/2 Tblsp warm water
1/2 tsp vanilla, coconut, almond or orange extract (I used almond)
3/4 tsp cream of tartar
Cream Cheese Whipped Cream Topping
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
6 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Fresh strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries for topping
Preheat oven to 350. In a food processor, pulse sugar until super fine, about 2 minutes (or just use caster sugar or super fine sugar). In a mixing bowl, sift together half of the sugar, the cake flour and the salt.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together egg whites, water, extract of choice and cream of tartar until well combined, about 2 minutes. Switch to a hand mixer and whip mixture on medium speed while slowly adding remaining sugar to mixture, until medium peaks form. Sift just enough of the flour mixture in to evenly dust the top of the egg white mixture and using a spatula gently fold flour later into egg white mixture and continue this process until all of the flour mixture has been incorporated (I did this in probably 12 batches).
Divide batter among paper lined muffin cups, filling each cup nearly full.. Bake in preheated oven 15-20 minutes until just started to turn golden and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool completely then spread cream cheese whipped cream over cupcakes just before serving and top with fresh fruit.
For the cream cheese whipped cream topping:
In a mixing bowl whip heavy cream until soft peaks form. In a separate mixing bowl, whip cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add cream cheese to whipped cream along with powdered sugar and whip until stiff peaks form. Store in refrigerator.
*Work with one egg in a bowl at a time while separating the yolk and the white, then pour that separated white into the mixing bowl and continue that process with eggs, to avoid breaking a yolk into the whites.
EnJOY!
