The exhaustion of being a restaurant owner is starting to set in. My passion is still strong, but this weekend kicked my butt. Saturday was mostly slow with a busy afternoon that gave me a chance to practice my timing under pressure. Then, Sunday was the opening of the floodgates. It was like the whole town came in at once. I survived. And mostly thrived! So I’m proud of myself. I prepared my baked goods to sell on Friday, like this classic coconut angel food cake. 

Coconut Angel Food Cake

I first made coconut angel food cake from my favorite cookbook as a teenager. My grandmother gifted me her angel food cake pan, which was a wonder to me. A thin, round, monster of a cake pan that you chill upside down. I read the recipe very carefully and used my new stand mixer to whip a magnificently airy meringue base. Then I added toasted coconut, cake flour, and vanilla. It was a huge hit the first time I made it, and each time after. I served it for my mom’s birthday once with chocolate ganache and strawberries. 

My grandmother has gifted me even more of her kitchen gadgets since then. Especially since starting at the cafe. Her coffee grinder has come in so handy! This week was a big challenge for me personally. For our family. My grandmother, who is immunocompromised, was struggling with a cough. After it got much worse, my cousin took her to the hospital. There she found out that not only did she have pneumonia, but she also has a tumor in her lung. We’re still waiting to hear more about the prognosis. But thankfully today she was discharged. She’s improving.

Guests at the Cafe

So after a busy week of prepping for the cafe, I adjusted to the increased workload and family melancholy by opening on Thursday. We’re now open 4 days a week, including Tuesday, which has been hard. I’m sure I’ll adjust, but waking up before 7 on a weekday after a hard weekend of work was an adjustment. Doing it 4 times this week will be hard. But I’m up for the challenge. Thursday was gratifying with locals coming by for lunch and new customers sharing their excitement to try our food. We also had an article and many positive comments from guests. 

For my recipe this week I knew I wanted something a little different. Something light and airy. So coconut angel food cake stuck out to me. I remember eating it when I was younger and luxuriating in its cloud-like softness. It has no fat, too, so it’s less indulgent than my chocolate chip cookies and brown butter cinnamon rolls. To freshen it up even more, I decided to add a lime whipped cream on top. Along with toasted coconut. I started in the same way that I always do – whipping egg whites with sugar until stiff peaks. 

Whipping Egg Whites

I used my stand mixer, which has worked very hard for me lately. More than most Kitchen Aids are ever prepared to churn. The bolt on the side even slithered out of the machine from the excess shaking. I made potato bread dough, cinnamon buns, cookie dough, and whipped egg whites. The sink was a war zone. But I carried on with my coconut angel food cake, which I envisioned as a big, light slice of cake on my rotating cake stand. I wanted to top it with an elegant dollop of cream and coconut. So I whipped the eggs until they stood up on their own. 

The whites could have whipped more. I spent the next few minutes measuring flour and sugar and vanilla and mixing everything up into a cake batter with a spatula. Then I spread the batter into my grandmother’s angel food cake pan. I took the time to wipe the sides and the inner piece so it would turn out even more perfect than usual. It went into the oven for a while, about 45 minutes, and I checked it excitedly. When I peered inside I noticed that the inside was slightly sunken and the color was golden brown. It was ready, but it didn’t rise enough. 

A Slight Slump

I put the coconut angel food cake back into the oven, hoping it would puff up miraculously. But it didn’t. I commiserated and planned to make something else. My perfectionism has been flaring up ever since running a cafe. Constant feedback has really made me paranoid about pleasing people. Representing myself well. So it’s even harder for me lately to let myself make mistakes. I practiced by reminding myself that the cake would still taste good. That it was a subtle flaw and not the end of the world. I could spend my time relaxing and taking care of myself rather than punishing myself with another attempt. It was good enough.

So I let it rest upside down, as it does, for the whole afternoon. It took a couple hours, at least, but I just left it in the corner while I prepped other things. I almost forgot about it when the sun started to set. A pang of regret shot through me, forgetting that I forgave myself for the obvious mistake. For not whipping the egg whites long enough. But I calmed down and removed it from the pan with a small knife. I really like the texture of the cake after it comes out. Patchy and splotchy from parts that stick to the un-greased pan. Like a giraffe or something spotted. I flipped it upside down and sliced it into big, generous pieces. 

Toasted Coconut and Lime

Funnily enough, I realized the hump in the middle of the coconut angel food cake was a perfect crevice for whipped cream. So I whipped up a small batch by hand with a whisk, adding lime juice, salt, and a little maple syrup. I gave it a taste on my finger when it was done and delighted in the pop of fresh citrus. Just what the rich, toasted coconut needed. I spent a few minutes photographing my cake with the elegant dollop and toasted coconut on top. The photos looked beautiful. I liked the dimple in the cake – it almost seemed intentionally artful. So I moved on and focused on the cafe. I ate a slice of angel food cake, too, to sample my goods. 

It was pillowy and chewy, like a good angel food cake. The flakes of toasted coconut provided a delightful pop of savory, nutty flavor amidst sugary marshmallowy cake. A nice pop of crunch, too. The lime whipped cream on top was a luscious and velvety cloud of citrus that paired so well with the coconut. It’s a really easy-to-eat cake that feels like early spring. It reminds me of Easter. The coconut and the light, airy marshmallow texture. I’m thinking about recipes to make for the cafe on Easter, which is this weekend! Maybe carrot cake muffins or chocolate eggs. 

Approaching Easter

I hope this week brings better news. Improved health updates and less stressful afternoons at the cafe. I’m excited for Easter, the warming weather, and the double chocolate chip cookies I just prepped. I also took my leftover cinnamon buns and toasted them. I mixed them with a cinnamon custard and pressed it into a square pan. Perfect for bread pudding. I’ve been writing down a list of new recipes I want to make, too, and thinking a lot about the future. Coming to terms with my busier, more sore and fast-paced life. But I’m reminding myself of the benefits – community, creativity, and independence. Amongst other things. I’m only just getting started!

Thank you for reading. Be sure to check out my Etsy page for 100’s of my art prints and recipe cards! Use code THEFORKEDRING for 25% off. 

Print Pin

Coconut Angel Food Cake

Light, airy meringue cake with toasted coconut

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword angel food cake, cake, coconut

Prep Time 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author theforkedring

Ingredients

• 14 egg whites
• 1 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 cup toasted coconut + more for garnish
• 1 1/4 cup AP flour
• 2 tbsp cornstarch

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Add egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar to the bowl of as and mixer.
• Whip on high speed until foamy and light. Then, gradually add half the sugar (3/4 cup) and continue whipping.
• Whip egg whites until stiff peaks. They should stand up with no resistance. Remove bowl from stand mixer.
• In a separate bowl, measure flour, the rest of the sugar (3/4 cup), 1 cup toasted coconut, and cornstarch.
• Gradually and softly fold the dry ingredients into the egg whites with a spatula. Continue until no streaks remain.
• Transfer cake batter to an angel food cake pan and smooth evenly. Cook for 35 – 45 minutes until risen and golden brown on top.
• Remove from oven and rest pan upside down for at least 2 hours. Then carefully remove from pan by running a knife around the edges.
• Slice angel food cake into equal portions and top with whipped cream and extra toasted coconut.

Notes

• To make lime whipped cream, add about 2 tbsp of lime juice to 3/4 cup whipped heavy cream. Add a pinch of salt and a little maple syrup or honey for sweetness. 
• To toast coconut, spread onto a nonstick baking sheet and bake at 350 until golden brown. Mix and toast again to ensure all pieces are cooked.