In Season: Fourth of July Red, White and Blue Angel Food Cake

Because berries are still so very delicious right now, this month’s In Season recipe from Linda LaRue, creator of The Core Transformer and author of the SOUPer Slim Diet, features strawberries, blueberries—and a patriotic look that is perfect for the 4th of July! 

Every 4th of July, my barbecue contribution is this dessert that ends up being a favorite recipe to share with family and friends. So, of course, this year I’m sharing it with you! Maybe it’s the name, or the fact that it’s fast and easy, or that it’s so ridiculously low in calories—who knows, but I do know that everyone will be giving you lots of compliments and asking for your new recipe.
And it’s so easy to turn a basic angel food cake into a 4th of July recipe! Just fill the middle with fresh berries—strawberries, raspberries and/or blueberries—for a patriotic red, white, and blue 4th of July dessert. And at only 144 calories per slice with no fat, no one will ever feel guilty about indulging this holiday!

Red, White and Blue Angel Food Cake Recipe

Serves: 12
Nutritional facts: Calories: 144; Fat: 0.1 g; Protein: 4.3 g; Carbohydrate: 31.7 g; Sodium: 105 mg
Ingredients
1 ½ c sugar, divided
1 2-inch piece vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 c sifted cake flour (about 4 ounces)
12 large egg whites
½ tsp cream of tartar
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp lemon juice (preferably fresh)
1 pint strawberries, washed, sliced, hulled and dried
1 pint raspberries, washed and dried
1 pint blueberries, washed and dried
1 can low- or non-fat whipped dairy topping
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place ¾ cup sugar in a small bowl. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean, and add seeds to sugar; discard bean. Work the vanilla seeds into sugar with fingers until well combined.
2. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and sugar mixture, stirring with a whisk to combine.
3. Beat egg whites with a mixer at high speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and salt; beat until soft peaks form. Add remaining ¾ cup sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Beat in juice. Sift flour mixture over egg white mixture ¼ cup at a time; fold in after each addition.
4. Spoon the batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan, spreading evenly. Break air pockets by cutting through batter with a knife. Bake at 325 degrees for 50 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Invert pan; cool completely. Loosen cake from sides of pan using a narrow metal spatula. Invert cake onto plate.
5. Fill middle with berries. Slice and serve cake with berries and 2 tablespoons whipped dairy topping.
Want to make this dessert even faster? You can easily substitute in a store-bought angel food cake from your local bakery. Just make sure it’s got a hole in the middle to fill with fresh, in-season berries!
What dish are you most looking forward to this 4th of July? —Linda LaRue