Café au Lait Angel Food Cake

Ingredients

• 1 cup cake flour sifted
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch 
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar 
• 12 large egg whites 
• 3 large egg yolk lightly beaten
• 0.3 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• 0.5 cup hazelnuts toasted chopped
• 2 tablespoons coffee instant
• 3 cups milk 2% divided reduced-fat
• 0.1 teaspoon salt 
• 0.3 teaspoon salt 
• 0.5 cup sugar 
• 1.5 cups sugar divided
• 1  vanilla pod split
• 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract 
• 2 tablespoons water hot
• 3 tablespoons hazelnuts (hazelnut-flavored liqueur)

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• sauce pan
• oven
• knife
• whisk
• blender
• spatula
• measuring cup

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 35
2. To prepare cake, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife.
3. Combine flour, 3/4 cup sugar, and cinnamon, stirring with a whisk, and set aside.
4. Combine espresso and hot water, stirring until espresso dissolves; set aside.
5. Place egg whites in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until foamy.
6. Add cream of tartar and 1/4 teaspoon salt; beat until soft peaks form.
7. Add 3/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating until stiff peaks form.
8. Beat in espresso mixture and vanilla extract. Sift 1/4 cup flour mixture over egg white mixture; fold in. Repeat procedure with remaining flour mixture, 1/4 cup at a time.
9. Spoon batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan, spreading evenly. Break air pockets by cutting through batter with a knife.
10. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Invert pan; cool completely. Loosen cake from sides of pan using a narrow metal spatula. Invert cake onto plate.
11. To prepare sauce, place egg yolks in a large bowl; set aside.
12. Combine 1/2 cup sugar, cornstarch, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan. Gradually add 1/2 cup milk, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Stir in remaining milk. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into the milk mixture; add bean to mixture.
13. Heat milk mixture over medium heat to a boil.
14. Remove from heat; gradually add hot milk mixture to egg yolks, stirring constantly with a whisk.
15. Return milk mixture to pan. Cook mixture over medium heat until thick and bubbly (about 4 minutes), stirring constantly.
16. Remove from heat. Spoon milk mixture into a bowl; place bowl in a large ice-filled bowl for 10 minutes or until milk mixture comes to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
17. Remove bowl from ice; stir in liqueur. Cover and chill completely.
18. Remove and discard vanilla bean.
19. Serve angel food cake with sauce, and sprinkle with toasted hazelnuts.