Orange Cream Angel Food Birthday Cake

FOR CAKE: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sift the flour and confectioners' sugar together 3 times into a medium bowl. Whisk in the almonds and set aside.

In a standing mixer or in clean bowl with a hand-held electric mixer, whip the egg whites together with the lemon juice and salt on low speed until foamy. Increase the speed and continue to whip the whites while slowly pouring in the granulated sugar. Beat the whites until they reach a moist, firm peak. Add the extracts. Do not overwhip the whites.

Gently fold the flour mixture into the egg whites in 3 separate additions. Transfer the batter to an unlined 10-inch tube pan and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. The cake is done when it springs back when pressed with a finger. Cool, inverted for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

FOR ORANGE CREAM: When the cake is cool, put the orange juice in a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over the surface of the juice and set aside for 5 minutes to soften the gelatin. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water and whisk to dissolve the gelatin thoroughly. Remove from the heat and add the orange zest. Cool to room temperature.

Whip the cream to the soft peak stage and add the confectioners' sugar. Fold a third of the whipped cream into the orange juice and then fold it back into the rest of the cream. Refrigerate the cream for 5 to 10 minutes while you slice the cake.

TO ASSEMBLE CAKE: Cut the cake horizontally with a serrated knife into 3 equal layers. Whip the cream lightly. Place the bottom layer on a cake circle or plate and spread the cake with a third of the cream. Lay the second layer on top and spread with an equal amount of cream. Place the top layer back on the cake and smooth the remaining cream over the sides of the cake. Refrigerate for 1/2 to 1 hour.

FOR GLAZE: Holding the almonds in the palm of your hand, gently press them halfway up the sides of the cake. Rotate the cake by supporting it with your opposite hand as you coat all the sides of the cake. Whisk the confectioners' sugar with the orange juice to make a smooth glaze. Pour the glaze over the top of the cake and let it drip down the sides. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve.