Casual Friday: Grilled Angel Food Cake with Whipped Mascarpone and Balsamic Strawberries

SURPRISE! It’s Casual Friday, party peeps.

I have other things planned for you next Friday, so we’re doing the damn thing a week early this month. I assume that’s cool. Let’s talk about grilled angel food cake and waste time on the Internet!

First of all, if you’ve never grilled cake, doughnuts, muffins, or any other such carb-y treats, you are absolutely not living your best life. In addition to getting nice and toasty, the sugar in baked goods helps them lightly caramelize on the grill, and they develop a subtle smoky flavor that’s downright magical. I hate to play grilled favorites here, but angel food cake is particularly heavenly thanks to its cloud-like texture. The delicious contrast between the warm, crispy exterior and light, fluffy interior is the stuff crazy cake ladies dream of, and I’m just going to lay it all out there—I ate “three” pieces of the stuff cross-legged on my floor yesterday while doing some rather Logan-esque grunting.

I have minimal regrets. I was LIVING, dammit.

I topped my grilled angel food with a generous dollop of whipped mascarpone and plenty of summer strawberries that were briefly soaked in a combo of sugar, aged balsamic, and freshly ground black pepper. I know the balsamic element may sound weird and gross, but I need you to trust me on this one. The vinegar’s acidity only enhances the fruit’s sweetness, and the unexpected kick of black pepper gives things a little savory flair.

The recipe below serves 8-10, so I’m hoping this one comes in handy for your end of summer entertaining needs. It looks fancy, but it’s super low-maintenance, I swear. Just use a store-bought angel food cake, whip up the mascarpone and slice the strawberries ahead of time, and then toss the berries with the sugar and balsamic about 30 minutes before serving. (You don’t want to fully prep the strawberries in advance because the acidity in the vinegar will “cook” them if they’re left to macerate for too long.) Grill the cake à la minute, and get psyched for the best part of your night—aka compliment hour.

Moving on to personal musings and Internet nonsense!

I’m almost through Liane Moriarty’s new book Truly, Madly, Guilty, and dear God, I hate it. I loved most of her other stuff (The Husband’s Secret, Big Little Lies, etc.), but this one is excruciatingly slow and gives me anxiety. Anyone else read it? Bueller?

I watch Bieber fall through the hole in his stage once a week just because. (Relax, he’s fine.)

This Seinfeld 9/11 spec script is so wrong but so, so right.

In case you missed it, Jonah Hill accidentally emailed his food diary to Drake.

I’m sure you’ve heard that Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg are co-hosting a cooking show that debuts this fall. I’m excited and also stressed, as I now have to reevaluate my fall/life goals. Fuck The Dude Diet, how do I become a regular on Martha & Snoop’s Dinner Party??!!

If I were an Olympian (BAHAHAH), I’d probably be a member of the Filipino diving team. Note: It turns out this footage is not from the Rio Olympics—it was shot at the Southeast Asian Games last year—but whateva.

And now, the things I want to make/eat ASAFP…

Jessica’s Strawberry Caprese with Pistachio Pesto is the perfect outdoor lunch with a rosé spritzer or three. (I told you last month, spritzers are legit now.)

I plan to grill flank steak this weekend and serve it alongside Heather’s Smoky Romaine and Avocado Salad.

This Goat Cheese Fundido with Cherries, Balsamic and Honey would be quite the cocktail hour showstopper. Plus you get to say “fundido” when you serve it. (“Fundido” is right up there with “fattoush” and “shakshuka” on my list of favorite food words.)

Ali’s Zucchini Parmesan is probably the most drool-worthy way to put your August zucchini bounty to work. Seriously. It looks insane.

This Farmer’s Market Cornbread with Sweet Corn, Cherry Tomatoes and Sheep’s Cheese is easily the sexiest cornbread I’ve ever seen.

I refuse to add an ice cream maker to my kitchen hoards, so I appreciate quality no churn options, and Katie’s got me covered. I want to bathe in her No Churn Honey Salted Almond and No Churn Cherry Chip.

I’m determined to drink this Kiwi Capiroska in a hammock. And sip this Strawberry Mint Bourbon Smash on a porch swing. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

Happy weekending, friends! I’m about to hop a plane to LA, and I’m hitting up Harry Potter World tomorrow, so if the thought of frolicking through Hogsmeade (and photos of Logan doing inappropriate things in front of children) interests you, come hang on Instagram Stories or Snapchat: @serenagwolf. I’ll try to give them both equal love.

Grilled Angel Food Cake with Whipped Mascarpone and Balsamic Strawberries: (Serves 8-10)

Ingredients:
1 angel food cake, sliced into 8 to 10 pieces
Fresh basil for serving (optional)
For the balsamic strawberries:
2 pounds strawberries, hulled and quartered
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar (A good balsamic makes all the difference, people.)
Pinch of sea salt
¼-½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper (This totally depends on how much you like pepper.)
For the whipped mascarpone:
¾ cup mascarpone cheese
¾ cup chilled heavy whipping cream
1½ tablespoons granulated sugar
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest (optional)

Preparing your Grilled Angel Food Cake with Whipped Mascarpone and Balsamic Strawberries:

-Start by prepping your berries. Place the strawberries in a mixing bowl. Add the sugar, balsamic, a tiny pinch of sea salt, and fresh ground pepper and gently stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to macerate.

-Meanwhile, place all the ingredients for the whipped mascarpone in a mixing bowl. Beat with a hand mixer on low speed just until thickened and smooth. (This should only take a couple minutes, max.) Be really careful not to over-beat this, peeps. You want it to be silky, not grainy. Refrigerate until ready to use.

-Pre-heat a clean grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the sliced angel food cake and cook for 45 seconds to 1 minute on each side, just until solid grill marks appear.

-Transfer cake to plates and top each slice with plenty of balsamic strawberries and a generous dollop of mascarpone. Feel free to get a little extra fresh ground pepper involved.

Grilled Angel Food Cake with Whipped Mascarpone and Balsamic Strawberries

Author - Serena Wolf

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Prep Time: 35 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes

Yields: 8 -10 servings

Ingredients

• 1 angel food cake sliced into 8 to 10 pieces
• Fresh basil for serving optional

For the balsamic strawberries:

• 2 pounds strawberries hulled and quartered
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar A good balsamic makes all the difference, people.
• Pinch of sea salt
• ¼-½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper This totally depends on how much you like pepper.

For the whipped mascarpone:

• ¾ cup mascarpone cheese
• ¾ cup chilled heavy whipping cream
• 1½ tablespoons granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest optional

Instructions

• Start by prepping your berries. Place the strawberries in a mixing bowl. Add the sugar, balsamic, a tiny pinch of sea salt, and fresh ground pepper and gently stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to macerate.
• Meanwhile, place all the ingredients for the whipped mascarpone in a mixing bowl. Beat with a hand mixer on low speed just until thickened and smooth. (This should only take a couple minutes, max.) Be really careful not to over-beat this, peeps. You want it to be silky, not grainy. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Pre-heat a clean grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the sliced angel food cake and cook for 45 seconds to 1 minute on each side, just until solid grill marks appear.
• Transfer the grilled angel food cake to plates and top each slice with plenty of balsamic strawberries and a generous dollop of mascarpone. Feel free to get a little extra fresh ground pepper involved.