It is March and the fresh nettles are just coming up here in North Okanagan. Hurray! It’s time to use up the dried nettle leaves left in the pantry since last spring. I can’t think of a better way than to make some nettle angel cake.
Ingredients:
¾ cup dried and pulverized nettle leaves
12 egg whites (room temperature)
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp salt
1 ½ tsp cream of tartar
1 ¾ cups pulverized sugar
1 cup flour (cake flour is ideal)
How to:
Whiz the sugar into a fine powder. I used my magic bullet. Remove 1 cup of the sugar and sift this through a fine mesh. Feed the large granules to any hovering children.
Add the sugar that was not sifted to your flour and salt. Add your dried and pulverized nettle leaves to this mixture. Mix.
Combine the egg whites and the cream of tartar. Whisk until frothy. Add the sifted sugar, one tablespoon at a time. Beat this with the mixer until it looks like whip cream. Add vanilla extract.
Sift the flour mixture into the batter, 1/3 at a time. Gently fold in the dry ingredients into the egg batter.
Take 2 10-inch tube pans. Put a piece of parchment on the bottom. Do not grease. Divide batter into the two containers. Give a little tap against the counter to shake out any air bubbles. Bake for 30 min at 350°F. Done when golden and not sticky inside.
Serve with a dollop of whip cream or nettle-lime curd.
See recipe for nettle-lime curd below.
Nettle-Lime Curd
Ingredients:
I cup fresh nettles (puréed)
Rind of 1 ¼ lime + plus juice
2 tbsp lemon juice
6 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
¼ cup butter (cold)
How to:
Purée nettle, juice, and rind. Mix sugar and eggs. Add nettle mixture. Cook on low while stirring until it has thickened. The spoon will make a clean streak through the pan and the mixture will stick on the spoon.
Take off heat and add cold butter while stirring.
Makes one medium sized jar.
Tastes great as frosting on cake or on toast. Quite sweet with a lemony tang.
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