Heavenly Angel Food Cake
Angel food cake is a tall, airy sponge made entirely from whipped egg whites, cake flour, and sugar — no butter or egg yolks — giving it a light, springy crumb and a pale white interior. Beating the whites to stiff peaks and folding in the flour gently are the two steps that matter most here. The cake bakes for about 40 minutes and must cool upside-down in the pan to hold its height.
Equipment
- Tube pan
- Mixing Bowls
- Electric Mixer
- Rubber spatula
- Cooling Rack
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups sifted cake flour ensure no lumps
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar preferably superfine
- 12 large egg whites room temperature
- 1 ½ tsp cream of tartar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract preferably pure
- ½ tsp almond extract optional but recommended
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cake flour and 3/4 cup of the sugar until well combined. Set aside.
- In another bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites on medium speed until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and salt, then continue to beat until soft peaks form.
- Gradually add the remaining 1 cup of sugar, a tablespoon at a time, with the mixer running on medium-high speed, until stiff, glossy peaks form.
- Gently fold in the vanilla and almond extracts using a spatula.
- Sift a third of the flour mixture over the whipped egg whites and gently fold in with a spatula until just combined. Repeat, folding in the remaining flour mixture in two more additions.
- Carefully pour the batter into an ungreased tube pan. Smooth the top with a spatula.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Invert the pan onto a cooling rack and allow the cake to cool completely before removing from the pan.
Notes
- Using room temperature egg whites aids in reaching the desired volume for the meringue.
- Always fold the dry ingredients gently to maintain the airy texture.
Nutrition
Calories: 282kcalCarbohydrates: 61gProtein: 8gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.03gSodium: 156mgPotassium: 199mgFiber: 1gSugar: 44gVitamin A: 0.5IUCalcium: 8mgIron: 0.3mg
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