happy birthday tangy! it's happy fun cake time!
1 1/2 cups egg whites, at room temperature
1 1/4 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/8 cups sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tangerine, grated zest
Tangerine Glaze:
1/4 cup freshly squeezed tangerine juice
1 tablespoon egg whites
8 ounces confectioners' sugar
1. Whip
Whip the egg whites until white and foamy. Add the cream of tartar and salt and continue whipping until soft, droopy peaks form. Still whipping, add 1 cup of the sugar in a thin stream and whip until stiff and glossy.
2. Sift
Sift the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and the flour together 3 times to aerate and lighten the mixture. Work quickly so the egg whites do not deflate (or sift through a strainer onto a sheet of waxed paper).
3. Fold
Fold sugar and flour mixture into the egg whites 1/3 at a time. Then, fold in the vanilla and tangerine zest.
4. Bake
Gently spoon the mixture into an ungreased tube pan. Smooth the top and bake in an oven preheated to 375 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden brown.
5. Prepare Glaze
Whisk together the tangerine juice and egg whites, then add the confectioners' sugar and stir until smooth.
6. Remove from Pan
Turn the pan upside down and hang it around the neck of a wine bottle while it cools at room temperature. Once it has cooled, slide a butter knife around the sides of the pan and put a serving plate on top. Turn over and knock the cake out onto the plate.
7. Glaze and Serve
When the cake has cooled thoroughly, drizzle the glaze evenly over it, making sure the top gets completely covered. Let glaze harden, then slice, and serve.