Angel Food Cake

From the kitchen of Carly

Ethereal and weightless, angel food cake rises on nothing but whipped egg whites, cream of tartar, and technique. A towering cloud of vanilla-scented crumb that's surprisingly simple when you respect the process. Pure, elegant, perfect with fresh berries.

Angel Food Cake

Angel food cake lives on technique and patience. Twelve egg whites whipped to soft peaks, folded with sifted flour and sugar, bake into a cloud so delicate it needs to cool upside down on a bottle neck. The magic is in the restraint, the gentle folding, the refusal to grease the pan. This is the cake that proves a good hand and respect for process beat fancy equipment every time.

Prep
n/a
Cook
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Total
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Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 1 1/2 cupegg whites
  • 1 1/2 cupsifted confectioners sugar
  • 1 cupsifted cake flour
  • 1/4 tspsalt
  • 1 1/2 tspcream of tartar
  • 1 cupgranulated sugar
  • 1 tspvanilla

Instructions

  1. Pull the egg whites out of the fridge and let them sit in the bowl of a stand mixer at room temperature for about 1 hour before you start. You want them around 60°F, just slightly below room temperature.

  2. Position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350°F.

  3. Using a triple sifter or fine-mesh sieve, sift the confectioners sugar, cake flour, and salt together directly onto a sheet of wax paper.

  4. Beat the whites on medium speed until frothy, then add the cream of tartar and continue beating until soft peaks form. With the mixer still running, gradually add the granulated sugar, beating just until the whites thicken into soft, droopy peaks. Beat in the vanilla.

  5. Sprinkle one quarter of the sifted dry ingredients over the whites and fold in gently but thoroughly with a rubber spatula. Add the remaining dry ingredients in three equal portions, folding each one in fully before adding the next.

  6. Pour the batter evenly into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan and slide it into the oven. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, until the top turns light golden, the cake pulls away slightly from the sides, springs back when lightly pressed, and a tester comes out clean. Immediately invert the pan onto the neck of an empty wine bottle or a large metal funnel and leave it there until the cake is completely cool.

  7. To unmold, run the tip of a long narrow knife along the outer edge of the cake where it meets the pan. Tilt the pan on its side and tap the bottom edge firmly against the counter, rotating and tapping a few times until the cake feels free. Set a metal rack or cardboard round over the pan, invert, and tap the pan firmly to release. Lift the pan away from the cake.

  8. Serve with a serrated knife, cutting in a gentle sawing motion to keep the delicate crumb intact.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Room temperature egg whites beat to better volume. Let them sit for an hour before mixing, aiming for around 60°F, slightly cool. Cold eggs won't whip properly.
  • Sift your dry ingredients together three times on paper before folding. This aerates the flour and distributes sugar evenly, which keeps the crumb tender and prevents pockets of flour.
  • Fold in dry ingredients slowly, one fourth at a time, using a rubber spatula and a gentle hand. Over-stirring deflates your whipped whites and kills the lift. You're looking for no streaks of flour left behind.
  • Don't grease the pan. The batter needs something to grip while it rises, otherwise it'll slide down the sides as it bakes.
  • Cool the cake completely upside down on a bottle or funnel. This keeps the structure from collapsing under its own weight while it sets.

Variations

  • Almond Angel Food: Replace vanilla with almond extract (use 1/2 teaspoon) and fold in 1/4 teaspoon almond extract with the wet ingredients for a delicate nod toward almond cake.
  • Citrus Angel Food: Add 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon or orange zest to the confectioners sugar before sifting. The zest should be fine enough to disappear into the flour.
  • Chocolate Angel Food: Replace 1/4 cup cake flour with sifted unsweetened cocoa powder. Sift it together with the flour and sugar to avoid lumps.
  • Angel Food with Berry Compote: Serve slices topped with a quick compote of fresh or frozen berries cooked down with a little sugar. The tartness cuts through the sweetness and adds moisture.

Make ahead and storage

Store covered at room temperature for up to two days. Angel food doesn't keep longer because the structure starts to compress. Freeze whole cake or slices wrapped tightly in plastic and foil for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.