Mocha Almond Angel Food Cake

[Jenise]

The latest Williams Sonoma catalog has an absolutely captivating photo of a mocha almond angel food cake you can order for 'just' $59. Well, no way. But my husband who loves mocha almond anything and angel food cake would absolutely go to the moon if I were to produce this cake at home. Failing one, I suppose it would actually be fairly easy to wing flavoring up an angel food cake with cocoa and coffee and coating it with a light chocolate icing and zillions of almonds, but this cake MUST happen. Anyone have a recipe for something similar?

Jenise, I just did a search for you and came up with what sounds like it could be the Sandra Lee version. lol. It might do the trick in a pinch, switching out the toffee bits for toasted almonds, but I'll keep searching.

Mocha Angel Food Torte
Rated: 5 out of 5 by 1 members Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Ready In: 20 Minutes
Yields: 10 servings

"Chocolate, toffee and a hint of coffee make this torte a popular request. The Santa Rosa, California reader uses a few instant ingredients to give prepared angel food cake heavenly homespun flair."

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/3 cups cold milk
1 (3.9 ounce) package instant
chocolate pudding mix
1 tablespoon instant coffee
granules
1 cup whipping cream, whipped, divided
1 (10 inch) prepared angel food
cake
2 (1.4 ounce) bars Heath candy
bars, crushed

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a mixing bowl, combine milk, pudding mix and coffee; beat on low speed for 2 minutes or until thickened. Fold in half of the whipped topping.
2. Cut cake in half horizontally; place the bottom layer on a serving plate. Spread with half of the pudding mixture. Top with remaining cake.
3. Fold remaining whipped cream into remaining pudding mixture; spread over top and sides of cake. Sprinkle with crushed candy bars. Chill for 2 hours before serving.

By the way, $59 for an angel food cake is absurd. Who are they kidding?

Look at this recipe Jenise.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/102203

[Jenise]

Karen and Carrie, I wouldn't have thought to make the mental connection between Tiramisu and mocha--but of course. Using angel food cake in place of the lady fingers is very appealing.

However, those are both tortes. What makes the cake pictured in the catalog so heartstopping is that it has the flavoring in the cake itself (they've cut a way a large slice so you can see its insides. That's why I was thinking one could get a reasonable result by just adding cocoa and coffee to a basic angel food cake mix.

Jenise - here's a link with the picture to help clarify things:
Mocha Almond Angel Food Cake
It does look like my kind of cake.

[Jenise]

Howie, thanks for that. I didn't even think of looking at their online catalog (obviously). Doesn't it look divine? Btw, I left the catalog on my desk open to that picture after posting about it, where Bob came along later and found it sitting. I was in the kitchen and heard "OH. MY. GOD." I was right--that cake pushes all his buttons.

[Jenise]

Celia to the rescue--she found a Mrs. Fields recipe for a chocolate angel food, and I'll start with that.

Let us know if you manage to create Bob's Button Cake!

Let us know if you manage to create Bob's Button Cake!

Yes. Let us know. If it works out I may use the recipe for dessert at next year's NiagaraCOOL.

My regular recipe for Chocolate Angel Food Cake is from the Cake Bible. You could just add some powdered espresso to it.

http://www.joyofbaking.com/ChocolateAngelFoodCake.html

Or try this recipe from Sunset magazine, I haven't made it but read it over and it looks fine. I've made a lot of Angel Food Cakes.

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recip ... id=1016408

It might be nice to add a half teaspoon or so of almond extract to deepen the flavour and add to the overall almond effect if you frost it and then press almonds into the sides.

I find it makes quite a difference in the rise of Angel Food cakes if the egg whites are slightly warmer than room temperature. I warm them over hottish water. And slightly underbeating gives better results than overbeating.

Angel food can be one of the most finicky cakes, this picture from Epicurious shows the results that were produced by different bakers with the same recipe:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/photo/105741

The coffee buttercream from this cake recipe is very good (very rich):

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/dirty-banana-cake

[Jenise]

LESLIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Would you believe that when I was typing up this request, I thought, "Where did all the bakers go? Leslie used to always have a solution to every baking question, and we miss her." And here you are. It's a pleasure to see your name again. And thanks for the links, I'll to look at those.

Jenise, thanks for your kind words. I've always been lurking around here, just didn't get the time to post.

Hope your family and you are all well.

I'm thinking of trying to recreate this cake next week, it sounds so good. Will report back. Nothing goes together better than coffee and chocolate flavours, except maybe chocolate and raspberries.

Jenise, just by reading the description of the cake (from Howie's link) I would be stunned if you couldn't pull this off. I mean, think about it; you make an angel food cake with coffee (some nice instant espresso) and cocoa (Scharffenberger's), almond extract to boost the almond flavor (in both the cake and the frosting), you make a good buttercream (with the same high quality espresso) and then cover the whole thing in almonds. Hell, candy the almonds in an espresso glaze for added umph.

I can guarantee you that the ingredients you use will be of higher quality than what is put into this cake. I can also guarantee that you will nail it. You are a drop-dead, kick-ass cook. You can do this. Just think about it. And for kicks, I'll do it too, post a pic, and let you know how it turned out.

rwj

Edited to say, "$59, my ass!"

[Jenise]

I mean, think about it; you make an angel food cake with coffee (some nice instant espresso) and cocoa (Scharffenberger's), almond extract to boost the almond flavor (in both the cake and the frosting), you make a good buttercream (with the same high quality espresso) and then cover the whole thing in almonds. Hell, candy the almonds in an espresso glaze for added umph.

I agree, it doesn't sound hard.

I can guarantee you that the ingredients you use will be of higher quality than what is put into this cake.

Well, I certainly won't need to add preservatives and extra fat so it stays moist for ten weeks in a cardboard box!

I can also guarantee that you will nail it. You are a drop-dead, kick-ass cook.

Why, thank you! I think I'll tell my husband tonight that you said so. Right before bedtime.

And for kicks, I'll do it too, post a pic, and let you know how it turned out.

You're on!

Why, thank you! I think I'll tell my husband tonight that you said so. Right before bedtime.

Sweet dreams

rwj

[Robin Garr]

Jenise, thanks for your kind words. I've always been lurking around here, just didn't get the time to post.

So glad to see you pop out of lurkerdom, Leslie! I'm glad this thread brought you back into active status, and I hope you'll hang around.

Hmm. I think I might need to participate, too. Pictures required...

b

[Jenise]

Hmm. I think I might need to participate, too. Pictures required...

b

The more the merrier! I like this. The Great Mocha Almond Angel Food Cake challenge: create, bake, eat, discuss. Yes, pictures required.

I'm starting a new thread on this. It's gonna be almost as fun as a CTC!

rwj

Thanks, Robin!!