Chocolate Angel Food Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Whipped Cream

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp granulated sugar)
• 1/4 cup + 3 Tbsp cake flour)
• 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 6 large egg whites , at room temperature*)
• 2 1/2 Tbsp warm water
• 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 6 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp cocoa powder, plus more for dusting **
• Fresh strawberries

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Run the sugar in a food processor until it turns very fine, about 2 minutes; if there is no food processor handy, caster sugar can step in.
2. In a mixing bowl, sift half the sugar with the cake flour, cocoa powder, and salt.
3. Add the egg whites to a large mixing bowl with the cream of tartar, water, and vanilla extract, then whisk until blended, about 2 minutes. Trade the whisk for a hand mixer, keep it on medium speed, and stream in the remaining sugar slowly while you whip, stopping when the whites hold medium peaks.
4. Sprinkle on enough of the flour mixture through a sifter to lightly cover the surface of the whites, then use a spatula to fold it in gently. Keep sifting and folding the same way until the flour mixture has all disappeared into the batter; expect probably 12 batches.
5. Portion the batter into paper lined muffin cups, bringing each one almost to the top. Bake for 18 – 20 minutes, until a toothpick poked into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean.
6. Let the cupcakes cool completely. Right before serving, cover them with Chocolate Cream Cheese Whipped Cream, sift over cocoa if you want it, and finish with fresh fruit.
7. For the Cream Cheese Whipped Cream Topping: Beat the heavy cream in a mixing bowl until it reaches soft peaks. In another mixing bowl, whip the cream cheese until it loosens up and turns fluffy. Add the cream cheese to the whipped cream. Tip in the powdered sugar, add the cocoa powder, and whip until the topping stands in stiff peaks. Keep it in the refrigerator.
8. For the egg whites, separate 1 egg at a time over a small bowl, then transfer each clean white to the mixing bowl before moving on. That way, if a yolk breaks, you lose only 1 egg instead of the whole bowl if you cannot get it out. Even 1 drop of yolk can stop the whites from reaching stiff peaks.
9. The cocoa powder can be skipped if you prefer the topping plain. If you use the cocoa powder and want the topping sweeter, mix in an extra tbsp or 2 of powdered sugar to suit your taste.