Living overseas taught me a lot, one of the best things is that Angel Food Cake doesn’t have to come from an icky grocery bakery or a mix! This recipe is so delightful and has come in handy as I have traveled and been unable to pick up angel food cake easily. Enjoy with strawberries in season and tons of whipped cream.
1 cup sifted cake flour
1 ½ cups sifted granulated sugar
12 large egg whites
1 tsp. cream of tartar
¼ tsp. salt
1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 ½ tsp. lemon juice
½ tsp. almond extract
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Have ready an ungreased 9 ¾ inch angel food cake pan, with removeable bottom
In a small bowl, combine flour with ¾ cup sugar. Place remaining ¾ cup sugar next to the mixer. Use a whisk to completely combine and aerate flour/sugar mixture.
In a large, grease-free mixing bowl, 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 spped, beat in ¾ cup sugar, 1 Tbsp. at a time, until all sugar is added and whiltes 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 mixture over egg whites about 3 Tbsp.at a time, and gently fold it in, using a large rubber spatula, a large flat whisk, or your hand.
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 in lower third of oven for 50 to 60 minutes until cake is golden brown and top springs back when pressed firmly.
If cake has feet, invert pan onto them. If not, invert pan over the neck of a bottle so air can circulate all around it. Allow to cool completely for 2 to 3 hours before removing from pan. To unmold, run a knife around edges, begin careful not to dislodge the golden crust. Pull cake out of pan and cut the same way around removable bottom to release.
Cool cake completely, bottom side up. When completely cold, cut slices by sawing gently with a serrated knife or pulling with a taut thread through the cake. Serve cake the same day or freeze overnight if serving the next day. (cake can be frozen for up to 2 weeks, but will compress slightly.)
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