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| Angel Food Cake |
This angel food cake is light, airy, and as dainty as one would imagine a story-book angel to be. You can dress it up with whipping cream and serve it with fresh fruit and a drizzle of melted chocolate on top.
Tips For A Successful Angel Food Cake
Pasty/cake flour: Recommend because it has a low gluten content which gives the cake its lightness. However, if you don't have it, all-purpose flour will work, albeit the cake will not be as light.
Cream of tartar: This is a white powder that looks like baking soda. It's made with crystalline acid deposited on the inside of wine barrels. It gives volume and stiffens the egg whites nicely plus it prevents over-beating. It's expensive, however it lasts forever.
Beating egg whites: Beat egg whites until they are thick, and glossy and hold their peaks. (To check, stop the mixer and lift the mixture with beaters to form peaks; they should be stiff and glossy). Over-beating the egg whites limits the amount of air in the mixture, creating a denser rather than a lighter cake.
Folding in the flour: Use a rubber spatula and fold the flour in gently and quickly. The aim is to try and keep the whipped egg whites light and fluffy. Place a spatula in the middle of the batter; scoop to the bottom, lift up, and fold it up and over the batter. Give the bowl a 1/4 turn and repeat until flour is incorporated into the mixture.
Separating egg whites and yolks: It's important not to have any egg yolks in your egg whites otherwise the cake may not work. Always separate your egg whites one-at-a-time into a small bowl, then check to see if there are any egg yolk. If not, transfer the egg white to a large mixing bowl. Repeat with each remaining egg.
Room Temperature: You will get more volume from your egg whites if they are at room temperature before you beat them. Separate egg whites and let them sit on the counter for a while, or bring eggs to room temperature by placing them in a bowl of warm water before cracking.
Angel Food Cake
Serves 8
1 cup cake/pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups egg whites, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine flour, salt, and 3/4 cups of sugar in a bowl and set aside.
In a large bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tartar using an electric mixer, until soft peaks form.
Gradually beat in the remaining 3/4 cups of sugar. Beat until the mixture is glossy and holds stiff peaks.
Beat in lemon juice and vanilla.
Sift 1/3 of the flour mixture over egg whites; fold in gently and repeat 2 more times until all flour is incorporated into the mixture.
Spoon into an ungreased 10-inch (24 cm) tube pan.
Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the cake springs back when touched.
Turn it upside down and let the cake cook in the tube pan. ( I sometimes place it on a long-neck bottle).
When cool, take a knife and loosen the cake from the edges of the pan and then lift the cake out of the pan.
Other cake recipes to try:
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| Caramel Cake |
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| Strawberry Shortcake |
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| Rhubarb Cake |
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