pat's Recipe

Allspice Angel Food Cakes with Pineapple Curd and Oven-Dried Pineapple

Category: Cakes

Makes 6 individual cakes or one 10-inch cake

FOR THE CAKES
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sifted cake flour (not self-rising)
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
7 large egg whites
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
FOR THE PINEAPPLE SLICES
2 1/4 pounds fresh pineapple, peeled thinly
FOR THE CURD
7 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 cup fresh pineapple juice
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare the cakes: Whisk together flour and allspice in a bowl; set aside. Put egg whites and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; beat on medium speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Add cream of tartar. Beat on high speed until mixture is stiff and glossy and has tripled in volume, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Carefully fold in flour mixture in 3 additions.
Spoon batter into plastic bag; snip off a corner of the bag. Squeeze batter into 6 mini angel-food-cake pans (about 4 inches in diameter and 2 1/4 inches high), dividing evenly. (Alternatively, spread batter into a 10-inch angel-food-cake pan.) Bake until golden and cakes spring back when touched, about 30 minutes (for 10-inch cake, bake about 40 minutes). Let cool 30 minutes on a wire rack. Gently loosen cakes with a thin knife or the tip of a wooden skewer; unmold. Let cool completely. Cakes can be stored in an airtight container up to 1 day.
Reduce oven to 200 degrees. Prepare the pineapple slices: Spread pineapple rounds on a rimmed baking sheet lined with a nonstick baking mat. Cook, flipping once, until dried, about 2 hours. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely. Dried pineapple slices can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 3 days.
Prepare the curd: Whisk egg yolks, sugar, and salt in a large heatproof bowl until smooth. Gradually whisk in pineapple and lemon juices. Set bowl over a pan of simmering water; whisk until thick, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat; whisk in butter until smooth. Cover with plastic, pressing wrap directly on surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate curd 1 hour (up to overnight).
To serve, invert cakes onto plates. Drizzle curd over each cake, and top with a dried pineapple slice. Serve remaining curd on the side.