Freckled Cake Will Please Cholesterol-Conscious Guests

I must admit that I am far less sympathetic to the food aversions of my dinner guests than I am to their actual health problems.

The last time I remember catering to a food aversion was for a family party involving several garlic haters. I made two coleslaws, one with garlic and one without, clearly labeling each. Wouldn’t you know that I was left with heaps of the one without, because everyone (despite their claimed likes or dislikes) went for the garlic version.

Another food sensitivity I have stopped catering to is cholesterol. This change of heart stems from a memorable occasion when a delightful chef friend came for dinner.

I was in the mood for total dessert decadence, but out of concern for what I knew to be her health problem, I prepared a second dessert that was extremely low in fat. As I watched her take ample helpings of both desserts, I made a mental note that in the future I would prepare only one dessert for everyone and cut smaller portions on request.

But when people actually have serious food allergies, they rarely seem inclined to warn you about them. Instead, they seem to assume that no one is likely ever to serve them their one nemesis. For one visiting chef, squid would have caused serious problems had she not arrived moments before the squid hit the pan. Fortunately, I was able to eliminate them from her portion of the entree.

Buckwheat can be an extreme and serious allergen, causing swelling of internal breathing passages and possible asphyxiation. I learned this when I invited my dear friend and esteemed colleague Jacques Torres, pastry chef at New York’s famous Le Cirque, for dinner and prepared kasha varnishka (buckwheat groats).

After his very first bite, he asked what was in the dish. I was flattered and thrilled, assuming he liked it so much that he wanted to know its every detail. But that wasn’t it. Apparently just one morsel of buckwheat and he could feel his lips tingling - a sure sign of disaster to come.

Jacques politely ate his way through the rest of the dinner, but it was only the next day, when his girlfriend Kristy called, that I found out just how much he had suffered due to the gradual swelling reaction and ensuing nausea.

When he arrived at work the following day, the chef, noticing that his face was as puffy as the Pillsbury Dough Boy, asked what was wrong. With characteristic good will and humor, Torres’ response was: “Rose Levy Beranbaum … she tried to kill me last night.”

When you want to make an unthreatening but no-compromise dessert for cholesterol-conscious friends, try this angel food cake. It’s spangled with a small amount of bitter (unsweetened) chocolate, which does wonders to temper the sweetness. Your guests will feel indulged, while their virtue will remain inviolate.

The Freckled Angel

1-1/2 cups sugar (preferably superfine), divided

1 cup sifted cake flour (sifted into cup and leveled off)

1/4 teaspoon salt

16 large egg whites (2 cups), at room temperature

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, grated

4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees at least 15 minutes before baking time. Place rack at lowest level.

Combine 3/4 cup sugar, flour and salt in small bowl and whisk to blend well. Sift remaining sugar onto waxed paper.

In large mixing bowl, preferably with whisk beater, beat egg whites until frothy. Add cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form when beater is raised. Gradually beat in reserved sifted sugar, beating until very stiff peaks form when beater is raised slowly.

Sprinkle flour mixture over beaten whites, 1/4 cup at a time, and with large wire whisk, slotted skimmer or large rubber spatula, fold in quickly but gently (it isn’t necessary to incorporate every speck at this point). Add grated chocolate and vanilla and fold until evenly incorporated.

Spread thin layer of batter onto sides of ungreased 10-inch (2-piece) tube pan to ensure smooth sides. Pour rest of batter into pan. It will reach almost to top. Run small metal spatula or knife through batter to prevent air pockets and smooth surface.

Bake 40 minutes or until golden brown and cake tester inserted in center comes out clean and cake springs back when lightly pressed. (During baking, center will rise above pan but will sink when done. After cooling, it will be level with sides of pan. Surface will have deep cracks like a souffle.)

Invert pan immediately, placing tube opening over neck of soda or wine bottle to suspend it well above counter. Cool cake completely in pan, about 1-1/2 hours.

Loosen sides with long metal spatula and remove center core of pan. Dislodge bottom and center core with metal spatula or thin, sharp knife. (A wire cake tester works well around the core. To keep sides attractive, press spatula against sides of pan.)

Invert cake onto flat plate covered with plastic wrap and reinvert onto serving plate. Wrap airtight. Cake may be stored 3 days at room temperature, or 10 days refrigerated; freezing toughens the texture.

To serve, garnish with light dusting of unsweetened cocoa powder or fresh flowers. For fluffiest texture, use angel food fork or 2 forks back to back to slice cake. Or use a serrated knife, but hold cake gently without compressing it as you cut.

Yield: 14 servings.

Note: Leftover egg whites from other recipes can be collected and frozen for months to use in this recipe. Simply defrost them and allow them to come to room temperature.

Bowl, beater and egg whites must be absolutely free of grease, including even a speck of egg yolk, for egg whites to beat into stiff peaks. Using correct amount of cream of tartar makes it possible to beat whites very stiffly without risk of drying and breaking peaks down.

Use bleached cake flour without leavening (not self-rising). To make superfine sugar, process in food processor about 1 minute.

A large balloon whisk or slotted skimmer is ideal for folding in flour with least amount of air loss. If using whisk, periodically shake out batter that collects on inside. Work quickly once egg whites are beaten so they do not deflate. Fold flour gently but thoroughly into batter.

To grate chocolate, make sure it is cold, or it will melt rather than form fine particles. You can use a hand grater or food processor (break chocolate into small pieces before processing).

Bake cake immediately after mixing in an ungreased pan. After baking, immediately invert pan so it is suspended well above counter so cake doesn’t steam and fall out of pan.

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