Angel Food Cake With Nectarines and Plums

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Prepare the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Adjust rack to lower third of oven. Line a 10-inch tube pan with parchment; to fit the parchment over the center tube, trace the hole, fold the paper in half and cut out a semi-circle. Do not grease pan or parchment.

2. Step 2

   Combine flour, ½ cup/100 grams sugar and the salt. Sift 3 times. Set aside.

3. Step 3

   Place egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, or in a large bowl if using a hand mixer. Beat at low speed until egg whites begin to foam. Add 1 tablespoon water, the lemon juice, the cream of tartar and the vanilla and almond extracts, and beat to a soft, moist foam at medium speed, 3 to 5 minutes. Mixture should increase in volume 4- to 5-fold. Stop machine and lift beaters. The foam should hold a soft, moist shape.

4. Step 4

   Turn beater on at medium speed and gradually add remaining ¾ cup/150 grams sugar, one tablespoon at a time. Beat 2 to 3 minutes until mixture forms medium, moist peaks that bend over when lifted. Foam should not be stiff.

5. Step 5

   Carefully transfer foam to a wide, 6-quart bowl. Sprinkle or sift ¼ cup of the flour mixture over the foam. Using a wide rubber spatula, gently fold in flour until just incorporated. In ¼-cup additions, continue to sprinkle on flour mixture and gently fold it into the foam, along with lemon zest if using. When you are done you should not see any traces of flour.

6. Step 6

   Pour the batter into the pan, scraping the last of it out of the bowl, and spread evenly, either with a spatula or by tipping or swirling pan. Run a table knife through the batter a few times to remove large bubbles. Place in oven and bake 40 minutes, until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. There may be some crumbs on the tester but they should not be moist.

7. Step 7

   Remove from oven and invert pan immediately with tube set on a rack. Cake will not slide out of the pan. If cake has risen to edges of the pan and the pan does not have legs, balance the pan on a jar so that air can circulate underneath. Cool in the reversed pan for 1½ hours.

8. Step 8

   Meanwhile, prepare the fruit: Toss together fruit, honey, lemon juice and sugar in a large bowl and let macerate for 1 to 2 hours at room temperature. (May be prepared up to 4 hours in advance and stored in the refrigerator.)

9. Step 9

   Remove cake from pan by running a thin knife between the cake and the sides and tube of the pan. Pull tube up from pan to remove cake, then remove from detachable bottom and peel off parchment. Place on serving plate to cool completely before serving or wrapping.

10. Step 10

    Slice cake with a sharp, thin serrated knife, sawing gently so you don’t flatten the cake. Add thyme to fruit, and then serve fruit and juices with the sliced cake. The cake alone will keep, well wrapped, for 3 days.