Angel Food Cake with Fresh Berries and Strawberry Coulis

Emeril Lagasse

1 cup cake flour
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups egg whites (from about 12 large eggs)
Pinch salt
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon cold water
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Assorted fresh berries, for serving
Strawberry Coulis, for serving, recipe follows

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut a sheet of parchment paper or waxed paper to fit the bottom of a 10-inch
tube pan. Fit the paper into the bottom of the pan and set aside.
(Important: do not grease pan!)

Place 2 large sheets of waxed paper over a work surface.

Working over 1 large piece of waxed paper, sift the cake flour together with
1/4 cup of the sugar. Sift the mixture 4 more times, working back and forth
between the 2 sheets of waxed paper. Set aside. Sift the remaining 1 cup of
granulated sugar onto another sheet of waxed paper and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the egg
whites on medium-low speed until foamy. Add the salt, cream of tartar, lemon
juice, water, vanilla, and almond extracts and increase the speed to
medium-high, beating until the whites are nearly stiff. Lower the speed to
medium-low and beat in the 1 cup of sifted sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time,
until the mixture forms stiff peaks yet is not dry.

Remove the bowl from the electric mixer and sift about 1/4 of the flour
mixture onto the top of the beaten egg whites. Using a large rubber spatula,
gently fold together. Repeat this motion 3 more times with the remaining
flour mixture, each time folding very gently together. Gently transfer the
batter to the prepared cake pan and run a knife through the mixture to
eliminate any large air bubbles. Smooth the top, if necessary.

Bake the cake until the top is lightly golden and the cake springs back when
touched lightly, about 45 to 50 minutes.

Remove the cake from the oven and invert the pan onto its legs (alternately,
if the tube pan has no legs, simply hang the pan upside down over the neck
of a sturdy bottle) and let sit until completely cooled.

When ready to serve, run the tip of a knife around the inner and outer edges
of the cake pan to loosen it from the sides. Unmold the cake and set aside.
Slice the cake and serve with fresh berries and Strawberry Coulis, if
desired.

Strawberry Coulis:

* 3 cups fresh strawberries, quartered and chopped
* 2 tablespoons sugar
* 1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice

Puree the strawberries with the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and the
tablespoon of lime juice for 2 minutes or until smooth. Strain through a
fine-mesh sieve.

(Alternately, you can keep the strawberries whole and mix with rest of
ingredients. Then use as a topping.)

Yield: about 2 cups sauce.