Angel Food Cake with Tropical Fruit Compote Recipe

This Angel Food Cake with Tropical Fruit Compote Recipe is a light and airy recipe, which calls for fluffy egg whites and vibrant fresh fruit. It’s a guilt-free summer dessert, ready in about 3 hours.

Jump to Recipe

Angel Food Cake with Tropical Fruit Compote Recipe Ingredients

For the Cake:

• 1 cup cake flour
• 1 cup sugar, plus 1/2 cup
• 12 large egg whites (at room temperature)
• Pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 lemon, zested
• 1 orange, zested

For the Tropical Fruit Compote:

• 2 ripe mangoes, 1 peeled and coarsely chopped and 1 peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, divided
• 2 teaspoons sugar, if needed
• 1 1/2 cups fresh pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 2 kiwis, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 star fruit (carambola), cut into thin star slices
• 1 cup halved red seedless grapes
• 2 tablespoons chiffonade of mint, for garnish

How To Make Angel Food Cake with Tropical Fruit Compote

1. Prep the oven and flour: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. In a medium bowl, sift the cake flour together with 1/2 cup of the sugar. Set this mixture aside. Sifting is crucial to prevent lumps in the delicate batter.
2. Whip the egg whites: Ensure your mixing bowl is perfectly clean and free of grease. Add the room temperature egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar. Beat on medium-high speed for about 5 minutes, until the whites reach soft peaks.
3. Create the meringue: While the mixer is running, gradually add the remaining 1 cup of sugar. Add the vanilla extract, lemon zest, and orange zest. Continue to beat until the meringue is stiff and glossy.
4. Fold in the flour: Stop the mixer. Gently fold in the sifted flour/sugar mixture in three additions using a large spatula. Use a gentle under-and-over motion to avoid deflating the air bubbles you just created.
5. Bake the cake: Transfer the batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan. Tap the pan on the counter a couple of times to release any large air pockets. Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the cake is light golden and springs back to the touch.
6. Cool the cake upside down: Immediately remove the cake from the oven and invert the pan onto a wire rack or over the neck of a bottle. Let it cool completely while upside down for at least 1 hour.
7. Make the compote: In a blender, puree the coarsely chopped mango with 1/2 cup of the orange juice until smooth. Taste and add the 2 teaspoons of sugar if the mango isn’t sweet enough. In a separate bowl, combine the diced mango, pineapple, kiwis, star fruit, grapes, and the remaining 1/2 cup of orange juice. Let this mixture macerate at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes.
8. Serve: Carefully run a knife around the edges to unmold the cooled cake and cut it into slices. Drizzle each slice with the mango puree, top generously with the fruit compote, and garnish with fresh mint.

Recipe Tips

• Why use room temperature eggs: Egg whites at room temperature have less surface tension, allowing them to whip up to a greater volume than cold eggs. Separate them while cold, then let them sit out for 30 minutes.
• Do not grease the pan: Angel food cake batter needs to “climb” the sides of the pan as it rises. If the pan is greased, the batter will slip down, resulting in a dense, flat cake.
• Why cool upside down: The cake’s structure is very delicate when hot. Gravity will cause it to collapse if cooled right-side up. Inverting it stretches the cake as it sets, keeping it tall and fluffy.
• Sifting is mandatory: Sifting the flour and sugar aerates the dry ingredients, making them easier to fold into the egg whites without deflating them.

What To Serve With Angel Food Cake with Tropical Fruit Compote

This dessert is a complete package, but you can add a creamy element.

• A dollop of coconut whipped cream
• A scoop of mango or lemon sorbet
• A glass of chilled Riesling or sparkling water with lime
• Toasted coconut flakes

How To Store Angel Food Cake with Tropical Fruit Compote Recipe

• Store Cake: Keep the angel food cake in an airtight container or cake keeper at room temperature for up to 2-3 days. Do not refrigerate the cake alone, as it can dry out.
• Store Compote: The fruit compote should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
• Freeze: You can freeze the plain cake (wrapped well) for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.

Angel Food Cake with Tropical Fruit Compote Recipe Nutrition Facts

• Calories: 260
• Total Fat: 0.5g
• Saturated Fat: 0g
• Cholesterol: 0mg
• Sodium: 180mg
• Total Carbohydrates: 60g
• Dietary Fiber: 2g
• Sugar: 45g
• Protein: 6g

Nutrition information is estimated per serving and may vary based on ingredients and cooking methods used.

FAQs