Angel Food Cake
If you are left with extra egg whites after making a custard or a creme pie, Angel Food Cake can come to your rescue, but since it contains about 11 egg whites, you’ll likely then have to make more custard! There could be worse things…
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 cups egg whites (from 10 to 12 eggs)
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or 1/4 teaspoon table salt)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
1
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a medium bowl, sift or whisk together the powdered sugar, flour, and cornstarch.
2
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy. While continuing to beat at a high speed, gradually add the granulated sugar, about 2 Tablespoons at a time, until it is mostly dissolved in the egg whites. Then add the salt, vanilla, and almond extract. Continue to beat at a high speed until very stiff and glossy.
3
Remove the bowl from the stand mixer or set the hand mixer aside. Scatter one quarter of the flour mixture over the top of the egg whites. Then fold together with a large spatula. Repeat, adding the flour mixture one quarter at a time and folding after each addition just until the flour mixture is incporporated.
4
Spoon the batter into an ungreased tube pan, taking care that you are not creating any air pockets. You make cut through the batter with a clean knife to break up any air pockets.
5
Bake at 375 degrees, until the top springs back when touched, about 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and place the cake upside down to cool. If your pan does not have cooling prongs, you may balance it on an upside down funnel placed in the center. When it is fully cooled, remove the cake from the pan by running a table knife or icing spatula along the outside and center edges. Invert onto a cake plate and serve.
When I was a young baker, one of my least favorite steps was having to grease the pan. I therefore loved to make angel food cake, because it actually required that I NOT grease the pan.
Categories:Desserts
Wendy Clem
