Pumpkin Angel Food Cake with Dark Chocolate Orange

Pumpkin is every where these days and frankly,  it is awesome.   Bloggers are creating some amazing pumpkin dishes.  Why?  Well for one it's fall and pumpkin is a fall baking staple.  The second reason and maybe most important is because pumpkin in baking, breakfast and anything is soooo delicious. Delicious in anything except for one thing, Pumpkin Pie. I may have mentioned this before but I don't like pumpkin pie.  I love pretty much any other dessert with pumpkin.  Is this weird?  I think is because with other desserts you lose the mushy pumpkin texture but get the amazing pumpkin flavour. My husband doesn't like fruit because of texture so I am going to use the same excuse with pumpkin pie.  I may try and make it one day but I will stick with pumpkin cake this time around.

(Adapted from Cooks Illustrated and Alton Brown for the Glaze)
INGREDIENTS: 

• 1 cup sifted cake flour 
• 1 1/3 cups sifted granulated sugar 
• 12 large egg whites 
• 1/2 cup pumpkin
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 2 oz shaved dark orange chocolate
• 1 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Glaze

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1/2 tbsp light corn syrup
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 ounces bittersweet/orange chocolate, chopped
• 1 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

INSTRUCTIONS

1) Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees.
2) In a small bowl, whisk the flour with 3/4 cup sugar. Place remaining 3/4 cup sugar in another small bowl next to the mixer.  Combine pumpkin, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small bowl.
3) In your mixer bowl or a large bowl, whisk egg whites at low speed until just broken up and beginning to froth. Add cream of tartar and salt and whip at medium speed until whites are become white and pillowey, not quite soft peaks.  With the mixer moving, add in 3/4 cup sugar, 1-2  tablespoons at a time, until all sugar is added and whites are shiny and form soft peaks. Add vanilla and beat until just blended.

4) Place flour/sugar mixture over egg whites about 3 tablespoons at a time, and gently fold it in, using a large rubber spatula. Fold in pumpkin mixture.

5) Add dark chocolate orange shavings and fold in.

5) Gently scrape batter into pan, evening out the top.  Tap gently to release any air bubbles.
6) Bake until the cake top springs back when pressed firmly, 50 to 60 minutes.
7) Invert pan over the neck of a bottle or funnel so that air can circulate all around it. Let the cake cool completely, 2 to 3 hours.
8) When completely cool, run a knife around edges, being careful not to break the crust. Slide cake out of pan, upside down on a plate. 

9) Make the glaze: combine butter, milk, corn syrup, and vanilla in medium saucepan and heat over medium heat until butter is melted. Decrease the heat to low, add the chocolate, and whisk until melted. Remove from  and whisk in confectioners sugar until smooth. Place in a squeeze bottle and drizzle over the cake.

A beautiful light and fluffy pumpkin dessert.  Also fairly healthy for a cake as I did cute back the sugar from the original recipe and does not include butter, oil or egg yolks.  It had a nice subtle pumpkin and orange chocolate flavour.  It was also just the right amount of chocolate glaze, not completely over the top.   Feel free though to coat the whole cake in glaze if that is what you are in the mood for.

MEG's RATING : D-EEEE-LICIOUS