Lemon Angel Food Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup cake flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 6 egg whites, at room temperature
• 2 1/2 Tbsp warm water
• 1/2 tsp lemon extract
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 3/4 tsp cream of tartar
• Cream Cheese Whipped Cream Topping
• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 6 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 – 1 tsp lemon extract, to taste
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• Lemon slices and pomegranate arils, for decorating, optional

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Add the sugar to a food processor and pulse until it becomes very fine, about 2 minutes. If you do not have a food processor, caster sugar should work. In a mixing bowl, sift together half of the sugar with the cake flour and salt.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites, water, lemon extract, lemon zest, and cream of tartar until everything is evenly combined, about 2 minutes. Change over to a hand mixer, then beat on medium speed while gradually sprinkling in the remaining sugar. Continue until the mixture holds medium peaks. If any zest clings to the beaters, scrape it off, rub it against the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula to loosen the bits, and fold it back in with the flour.
3. Sift a small amount of the flour mixture over the surface of the whipped egg whites, just enough to lightly cover the top. Use a spatula to fold it in gently, then repeat until all of the flour mixture has been added. This may take about 12 batches.
4. Spoon the batter into paper-lined muffin cups, filling each one almost to the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 18 – 20 minutes, until the cupcakes are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let them cool completely, then add the Cream Cheese Whipped Cream Topping right before serving and decorate with lemon slices and pomegranate seeds, if desired.
5. For the Cream Cheese Whipped Cream Topping, beat the heavy cream in a mixing bowl until it forms soft peaks. In another mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with the lemon extract and lemon zest until it is light and fluffy. Add the cream cheese mixture to the whipped cream along with the powdered sugar, then beat until stiff peaks form. If zest sticks to the beaters, scrape it off and add it back to the bowl. Store in the refrigerator.
6. When separating the eggs, it is smart to work with 1 egg at a time in a small bowl, then transfer each clean white to the mixing bowl before starting the next egg. That way, if a yolk breaks, only 1 egg is affected. Even 1 drop of yolk in the whites can keep them from whipping properly.