Pineapple Weed Infused Angel Food Cake

I've been desperate to infuse a cake with elderflower this year.  But there aren't any elder flowers blooming and probably won't be for several more weeks.

I was planning on making an angel food cake for Easter brunch tomorrow, so I just added the pineapple weed infused sugar that I made last week.  I spooned fresh strawberries on top, but it's just as good plain.

Angel food cake is easy to make, but it does take a dozen eggs.  Luckily, I have chickens that produce more than I can use on a daily basis.  Eggs are easier to separate when still cold from the 'fridge, but beat up nicer when they are at room temperature.  I crack my eggs the night before and whip them in the morning.  Do what works best for you.

The nice thing about angel food is that it's a cake that can go 'gluten-free' without much change in texture.  King Arthur flour has a nice recipe that I've used for my gluten free friends here:

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/gluten-free-angel-food-cake-recipe

Here's my recipe:

Whisk together 1 cup unbleached flour and 3/4 of a cup of the pineapple weed sugar in a bowl.  In a large bowl mix 12 large egg whites and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Beat until frothy, then add 1.5 teaspoons of cream of tartar.  Beat until stiff, glossy peaks form, then add another 3/4 of a cup of the pineapple sugar, adding 1/4 cup at a time.

Fold the dry ingredients into the beaten egg whites.  Try to mix as little as possible so as not to break down the 'loft' of the egg whites.

Spoon the batter into an ungreased 10" angel food cake pan and bake in a preheated oven (325 degrees) on the bottom rack.  The cake should be golden brown on top and spring back when you gently press on it.

Place the cake upside down to cool.  If your pan doesn't have legs, put it over the top of a bottle so as not to crush the top.

Let the cake cool for at least an hour and a half.

To remove from the pan, run a spatula along the sides of the pan. Flip it over and it should drop out pretty easily.

Frost your cake if you like or drizzle it with a chocolate sauce or strawberries.