Angel Food Cake is probably my husband’s favorite cake. His grandma has been making them for years and years for the family get together so not only is it a tasty treat, it is a nostalgic thing for him. So when we moved away from family, this was something I had to get good at making.
Since moving to a high altitude location I haven’t made them as often as I used to, but they do turn out pretty well. They do come out a little denser than at sea level but they are still pretty good. At sea level, this cake turns out completely wonderful and light as a cloud.
One thing I typically do when I make an angel food cake is also make a key lime pie. I hate to throw out perfectly good yolks and key lime pie uses most of them, you could also do creme brûlée or make ice cream. But don’t throw them away! I usually do the key lime pie because that is my husband’s second favorite and he knows they typically come in pairs.
So when he is craving one he typically craves the other and will call and ask me to make both.
So spoiled.
The thing about angel food cake that I love is smothering it berries and berry juices and topping it with nice big cloud of fresh whipped cream. It is SUCH an amazing summery dessert.
Angel food cake also makes a delicious trifle or bread pudding if you make one and it doesn’t turn out (like if you are high altitude and you try to mess with the recipe in the hopes it will turn out better but it just comes out worse. Yes I talking about myself….).
I also used a messed up angel food to make Brie and Strawberry Grilled Cheese Sandwiches once – holy moly those were yumm-y. I need to make those again…
- 1½ cups egg whites (10-12 large), room temperature
- 1½ teaspoons cream of tarter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1½ cups sifted powdered sugar
- 1 cup sifted cake flour or sifted all-purpose flour
- Preheat oven to 350˚. Set out your tube pan but do not grease it as this makes it harder for the cake to rise.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment whisk the egg whites, cream of tarter and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Stiff peaks are when you dip the whisk in the whites and pull it out and the whites stand stiffly up without falling over.
- Once you have stiff peaks, put the mixer on medium speed and gradually add the granulated sugar.
- In another large mixing bowl, combine the flour and powdered sugar.
- Then use a spatula to fold ¼ of the flour mixture into the egg whites, repeat with remaining egg whites ¼ at a time and be very gentle so you don't deflate the whites.
- Pour the mixture into the tube pan and then run your spatula around in the batter to get rid of any air bubbles.
- Bake for about 40-45 minutes or until the top is nice and golden and springs back when gently pushed.
- Immediately invert the cake to cool. Some tube pans have little feet so you can do this directly on the counter but some don't. If yours does not, an old wine bottle works wonderfully.
- Once completely cooled, loosen the edges of the cake and remove it gently.
Recipe from my favorite cookbook: Better Homes and Gardens ‘New Cookbook 11th edition’
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