Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups sifted cake flour, non-self rising
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, sifted
14 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
2 tsps lemon zest
Whipped cream filling
While blackberries
Fresh edible flowers (pansies and nasturtiums)
Blackberry sauce
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the cake flour with 3/4 cup of the sugar. Sift the mixture twice and reserve.
In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with a whisk at medium speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar. Increase the speed to high and beat the egg whites until thick and tripled in volume. Sprinkle half of the remaining sugar over the egg whites and continue beating until the egg whites are stiff and glossy.
Fold in the cake flour and sugar mixture in three additions. With the last addition, add the lemon zest.
Spoon cake batter into an unbuttoned 10” angel food cake pan with a removable bottom. Run a knife through the batter to break any air bubbles. Bake for 45 minutes, until golden in color and springs back when gently pressed with your fingertip.
Invert the pan on a cooling rack and allow to cool completely, at least 1 hour. To remove the cake from the pan, run a knife around the sides and the tube of the pan. Release the cake from the sides, and run s long knife along the bottom of the pan, freeing it from the tube.
Carefully cut the cake in half horizontally and spread a layer of whipped cream filling, about 1 cup, on the bottom half of the cake. Arrange whole blackberries in the filling and replace the top half of the cake and decorate with clean, edible fresh flowers. Serve with blackberry sauce.
Whipped Cream Filling:
Makes 3 cups
2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp confectioners sugar
Chill a large metal bowl and your beaters. Using the mixer at high speed, whip the cream with vanilla and sugar until stiff peaks form.
Blackberry Sauce:
Makes 2 cups
3 pints blackberries
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp crème de cassis or blackberry liqueur
5 Tbsp sugar
In a large saucepan combine all ingredients and cook over low heat, stirring often, until sugar dissolves and the sauce begins to thicken, about 20 minutes.
Put through a fine sieve, pressing on the pulp. Discard the seeds.