lemon meringue angel food cake

Sometimes baking goes exactly how you want it too. And sometimes you have to wait three hours because you didn't read all the directions and didn't know that something needed to be at room temp first! But oh well! It still tasted good!
For anyone who wants to make this cake themselves, which I HIGHLY recommend, I thought I'd put some tips up here, so hopefully you read them before you start, and save time I lost! The eggs need to be at room temp, so get those out a couple hours before. BUT make sure to separate them while they're cold, so the yolk is still firm and doesn't break into the egg whites! My other tip is to bake the meringue, and not use the torch like I did. It worked just fine, but I think the baking would give better results!
On to this yummy cake!

(action shot credit to my sister, cake spinning action credit to my dad)

Lemon Meringue Angel Food Cake (recipe from Taste and Tell)

INGREDIENTS

Cake

1 1/2 cups sugar, divided

1 cup cake flour

12 egg whites, at room temperature

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

Filling

1 cup lemon curd

Meringue

4 egg whites, at room temperature

3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 cup sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place the oven rack in the lowest position and preheat to 350F.
2. Sift together 1/2 cup of the sugar and the flour twice. Set aside.
3. Mix together the egg whites, cream of tartar, vanilla extract and salt. Beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 1 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, until stiff, glossy peaks form and the sugar has been dissolved. Fold in the flour mixture, half a cup at a time, until combined.
4. Gently pour the batter into an un-greased 10-inch tube pan. Use a butter knife to cut through the batter to make sure there aren't any air pockets. Bake until the top is browned and appears dry, 35-40 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately invert until completely cooled.
5. Once cooled, run a knife around the outside of the cake to release from the pan, if needed. Split the cake into 2 layers horizontally. Place the bottom layer of the cake on an ovenproof serving plate. Spread the lemon curd on top of the cake, then place the top layer over the curd.
6. To make the meringue, preheat the oven to 350F. Place the egg whites in a bowl with the cream of tartar and beat on medium until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Spread the meringue over the top and sides of the cake. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until browned.

And if you don't like lemon, I think you could substitute pretty much anything else in there! I personally think it would taste AMAZING with a layer of chocolate pudding! ;)

-Kylie