Bake an Angel Food Cake
One of the most delicious cakes, is Angel Food Cake. This can be eaten as is, or served with fruit toppings, ice cream, or a citrus glaze on top. It can be warmed or eaten cool, and goes great with coffee or tea.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups egg whites (about 12 large eggs)
- 1 cup plus one tablespoons (240g) sifted cake flour
- 1 1/3 cup (270g) sugar
- 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Steps
- Separate the eggs before heating the oven, adding the whites to a liquid measuring cup until you have 1 1/2 cups. It will take about 12 large eggs.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF/180ºC.
- Sift the flour before measuring. If you do not have a sifter, use a whisk to fluff the flour before measuring. Add about half the sugar to the flour and sift again.
- Beat the egg whites in a large bowl, adding the salt and the cream of tartar to the whites as soon as they become foamy. Continue beating. As soft peaks begin to form, add the remaining sugar and extracts. Beat until peaks form.
- Use a spatula, gently fold the flour and sugar mixture into the egg white foam with “over and up” motions. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl for the flour mixture will sink. Mix only until the flour is moistened. Working the batter longer tends to drive the air bubbles from the foam and reduces the cake's volume.
- Scrape the batter into a ten-inch tube pan and bake immediately. Bake for 45 minutes or until the cake is done. When the cake is removed from the oven, immediately invert the tube pan on the counter. Many tube pans have legs for this purpose. If the tube pan does not have legs, invert the pan over a narrow-necked bottle or a funnel inserted into the tube.
- Finished.
Tips
- You can use the leftover egg yolks to make a custard.
- Be sure not to get any egg yolk or any other grease in the egg white mixture or on the bowl, or your eggs will not whip properly.
Warnings
- When working with ovens, always be careful!
