Angel Food Cake
Egg whites beaten to stiff peaks with sugar and cream of tartar bake into this impossibly light angel food cake where almond extract adds subtle nutty fragrance to the cloud-like crumb.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
40 minREADY
180 minAngel food cake is all about technique because there’s no butter, oil, or egg yolks to hide behind when things go wrong.
Beating egg whites with cream of tartar creates the structure that holds this cake together, with sugar added gradually to build stable, glossy peaks.
Sifting flour mixture four times might seem obsessive, but it aerates everything so the batter stays light and fluffy instead of deflating.
Baking the cake in an ungreased tube pan lets the batter climb up the sides as it rises, and cooling it upside down prevents collapse.
Baking Tips
- Make sure your bowl and beaters are spotlessly clean because any fat residue will prevent egg whites from whipping properly
- Fold flour into whites gently using a rubber spatula and broad strokes to preserve all those air bubbles
- Let cake cool completely upside down for the full hour or it will collapse when you turn it right-side up
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 375℉ (190℃).
Sift together flour, ¾ cup sugar and salt together 4 times into a bowl.
In separate bowl, beat whites with tartar until soft peaks form.
Add remaining sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time; beat well after each addition.
Add extract.
Sift ¼ cup flour mixture over whites; fold in gently.
Fold in remaining flour mixture, ¼ cup at a time.
Pour batter into ungreased, 10 inch tube pan; bake 35 to 40 minutes.
Turn pan upside down on wire rack and let cake cool in pan for 1 hour.
The cake should come out of its own accord.
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