Angel Food Cake

Angel Food Cake is a very soft and light dessert characterized by its airy texture, which is achieved through whipped egg whites. Here’s how to make it.

Ingredients

• 12 egg whites
• 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar (or lemon juice as an alternative)
• 300 g of granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 160 g of cake flour (or sifted all-purpose flour with a pinch of baking powder and cornstarch)
• A pinch of salt

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
2. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar and a pinch of salt until soft peaks form.
3. Gradually add 200 g of sugar, continuing to beat until firm and glossy peaks form. Stir in the vanilla extract.
4. In another bowl, sift the flour with the remaining 100 g of sugar.
5. Gently fold the flour and sugar mixture into the whipped whites, one spoonful at a time, being careful not to deflate the mixture.
6. Pour the batter into an ungreased angel food cake pan (or a tube pan)
7. Bake in the oven for about 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
8. Immediately invert the pan after removing it from the oven and let it cool completely upside down before unmolding the cake. This step helps the cake to not collapse during cooling.
9. When the cake is cool, gently run a spatula along the edges of the pan to loosen the cake and then gently unmold it.

Curiosity

The Angel Food Cake gets its name from its texture as light as “the clouds of heaven.” It is often contrasted with Devil’s Food Cake, which is a very dense and moist chocolate dessert. Serve it with a dusting of powdered sugar, perhaps accompanied by fresh fruit or a chocolate sauce to contrast its ethereal sweetness with an extra touch of flavor.