My husband loves angel food cake and yet I have never made it for him. I think it’s because I have tasted only the Safeway version and the spongy texture creeped me out. How in the world can a cake be sooooo spongy? I found a recipe on Cook’s Illustrated’s website and a quick perusal of the ingredients answered my question: a dozen egg whites. Yowsers. That is a lot of egg whites! Fortunately, one batch of homemade vanilla ice cream uses a half dozen egg yolks, so all I need to do is time one angel food cake and two batches of ice cream and I am left with no waste at all!
This cake is heavenly. It is perfect topped with a mound of lightly sweetened whipped cream and some fresh berries. You can serve it at a formal occasion or for a weeknight dessert. Either way, it’s delicious! Now that I know how easy it is to prepare angel food cake, I will make this cake often throughout the summer to go with all those wonderful strawberries and blueberries at the local farmer’s market!
Source: Cook's Illustrated
Ingredients
Instructions
- Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Have ready an ungreased large tube pan (9-inch diameter, 16-cup capacity), preferably with a removable bottom. If the pan bottom is not removable, line it with parchment or wax paper.
- In a small bowl, whisk the flour with 3/4 cup sugar. Place remaining 3/4 cup sugar in another small bowl next to the mixer.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer, or with a handheld mixer, beat egg whites at low speed until just broken up and beginning to froth. Add cream of tartar and salt and beat at medium speed until whites form very soft, billowy mounds. With the mixer still at medium speed, beat in 3/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until all sugar is added and whites are shiny and form soft peaks. Add vanilla, lemon juice, and almond extract and beat until just blended.
- Place flour-sugar mixture in a sifter set over waxed paper. Sift flour-sugar mixture over egg whites about 3 tablespoons at a time, and gently fold it in, using a large rubber spatula. Sift any flour-sugar mixture that falls onto the paper back into the bowl with the whites.
- Gently scrape batter into pan, smooth the top, and give pan a couple of raps on the counter to release any large air bubbles.
- Bake until the cake is golden brown and the top springs back when pressed firmly, 50 to 60 minutes.
- If cake pan has prongs around the rim for elevating the cake, invert pan onto them. If not, invert pan over the neck of a bottle or funnel so that air can circulate all around it. Let the cake cool completely, 2 to 3 hours.
- To unmold, run a knife around edges, being careful not to separate the golden crust from the cake. Slide cake out of pan and cut the same way around removable bottom to release, or peel off parchment or wax paper, if used.
- Place the cake, bottom-side up, on a platter. Cut slices by sawing gently with a serrated knife. Serve the cake the day it is made.
3 responses so far ↓
1 LeAnn // Jun 1, 2012 at 6:11 pm
I love how you completely justified making a cake AND two batches of ice cream. I’m sold!
That looks so good! My Mom always made afc growing up (mostly to have as strawberry shortcake), so it’s a fave of mine.
2 Joan Hayes@chocolate and more // Jun 11, 2012 at 6:09 am
OK, I now also need your recipe for the vanilla Ice Cream so I can make both too! I think that’s the only reason I’ve never made an angel food cake is what to do with all the egg yolks, lol. Pinning!
3 Paula // Jun 11, 2012 at 11:57 am
Joan,
The recipe for vanilla ice cream is here: http://www.dishingthedivine.com/2011/07/25/best-ever-homemade-vanilla-ice-cream/
Enjoy!
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