Angel Food Cake with Berry Compote

Cake

12 egg whites

Pinch of salt

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 cups (400 grams) sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

½ teaspoon pure almond extract

1 cup (140 grams) flour

Berry compote

1 cup (140 grams) raspberries

1½ cups (210 grams) strawberries, sliced

1 cup (140 grams) blueberries

½ cup (70 grams) blackberries, halved

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

⅓ cup (65 grams) sugar

Pinch of salt

2 tablespoons orange liqueur

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk the egg whites in a standing mixer with the salt and the lemon juice. Begin to whip at high speed; once the whites are foamy, rain in the sugar, then add the extracts and whip until soft peaks are formed, 5-7 minutes in all.

Scoop the batter into an angel food pan or tube springform pan (a tube pan provides for the biggest ride, but you can use a non-tube pan if you have a way of cooling the cake upside down, which inhibits the cake from sinking as it cools.

Bake until the top of the cake is golden and springs back to the touch, 35-40 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and invert it, still in its pan, on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Allow the cake to cool, upside down, for 1 hour.

For the compote: While the cake cools, combine all the compote ingredients in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until the fruit becomes soft, about 15 minutes. You can use it right away or refrigerate it to serve cool.

Once the cake is cooled, run a knife along the sides to remove the cake from the pan. You may have to give it a good thump to release it from the pan if you are not using a springform pan. Cut into slices and serve with warm or chilled berry compote.

Serves 12.

Nutrition values per serving: 208 calories (1.4 percent from fat), 0.3 g fat (trace amount saturated), 47 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 5.3 g protein, 0 cholesterol, 95 mg sodium.

"Egg: A Culinary Exploration of the World's Most Versatile Ingredient" by Michael Ruhlman (Little Brown, 2014)