12-Egg-White Angel Food Cake

12-egg-white angel food cake is the cleanest test of a baker’s whisk hand. There’s no butter, no oil, no yolk, no chemical leavener. The entire rise comes from air beaten into a dozen egg whites, so every step is in service of protecting that foam.

Start with whites at room temperature. Cold whites whip slow and short. Cream of tartar stabilizes the foam at the soft-peak stage and keeps it from weeping. Add the sugar gradually, two tablespoons at a time, so it dissolves into the meringue rather than weighing it down.

The folding step is where most home bakers blow it. Sift the cake flour and sugar together three times so the dry ingredients are weightless, and fold in quarters with a rubber spatula using a deep cut-and-turn motion. Do not stir.

The ungreased pan is intentional. The batter needs to climb the sides of the tube as it bakes, and inverting the pan to cool stops the structure from collapsing under its own weight before it sets.

Pro Tips

• Make sure the mixing bowl and whisk are scrupulously clean. Even a fingerprint of fat will keep the whites from whipping to full volume.
• Sifting the flour and sugar three times is not optional. Lumps of flour translate to dense streaks in the finished cake.
• Cool the cake fully upside down on a bottle neck. Cutting it warm or right-side up will deflate the crumb.
• A serrated knife with a sawing motion gives clean slices. A flat blade compresses and tears.

Variations

• Skip the almond extract and add 1 teaspoon lemon zest for a brighter, citrus-forward cake.
• Sift 2 tablespoons cocoa powder into the flour for a chocolate angel food cake.
• Serve with macerated strawberries and softly whipped cream for a classic summer dessert.