Angel Food Cake to me, is one of the best cakes you can make. It is light, airy and delicious. This cake has become an American classic that can be found in bakeries and grocery stores all over this country. But you can make one at home that tastes amazing. It is even fat-free! This cake can be served with berries and whipped cream, topped with custard or spread with “church Spread” (more on that in a future post…..just imagine peanut butter, marshmallow and brown sugar spread on a cake!). You can even just snack on it, by tearing pieces of the cake with your fingers, OK, that just might of happened a few times in my kitchen.
In doing research for this post, there seems to be little information on the history of where angel food originated. Angel Food cake began to be mentioned in America around the middle of the 1800s. This cake is almost certainly an American invention. Probably started its origins in the Pennsylvania Dutch region. And angel food cake exploded into American home kitchens in the late 1880s as home cooking began its modernization with such inventions as the egg beater.
I have been baking this recipe for many years, and once I figured out the right proportions, it has never failed me. Even when I lived in higher altitude in Reno NV, this cake has turned out great every time.
Angel food cake is actually very easy to make and doesn’t even call for any hard to find ingredients. As long as you follow a few guidelines, you will have success every time. You will need an angel food cake pan with a removable bottom. Make sure the bowl is spotless, as any oil on the surface of the bowl will prevent the egg whites from whipping to their full potential. This recipe calls for 11-12 egg whites, you can use the yolks for some other purpose like a custard or enriching bread dough. It comes together very quickly so pre-measure and sift the ingredients. If you don’t have any vanilla bean paste or a vanilla bean you can omit it and add a bit more vanilla. The price of vanilla beans has skyrocketed due to climate change, and other factors so use what you can.
I have seen many recipes that call for not using a non-stick angel food cake pan. That is great if you can find one, but at the time I moved to the east coast all I could find were non-stick ones and I have never had a problem. I have given both cup and weight measurements. for this cake it is more accurate if you weigh the flour and the sugar. If you don’t have a scale you can still measure with cups.
Once you make an angel food cake, I promise you will make another, they are fun to make and easy to eat. Let me know in the comments below if you make this cake and any thoughts on your success.
The best recipe for angel food cake.Perfect every time.
- 1-1/2 cups 11 to 12 large egg whites
- 1-1/2 cups, 175 grams sifted powdered sugar
- 1 cup, 100 grams sifted cake flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1-1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 cup, 200 grams white sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or seeds from one vanilla bean
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract optional
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About 1 hour before baking the batter, place fresh, cold egg whites in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer. You want to bring the egg whites to slightly below room temperature.
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Using a fine mesh strainer or a sifter, sift the confectioners' sugar, cake flour, and salt onto a piece of wax paper or into a large bowl. Set aside.
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Have a 10-inch angel food cake pan with a removable bottom ready.
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Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350°
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In the very clean bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on low speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and increase the speed to medium-medium high.
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Beat until soft peaks form.
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Continue whipping and gradually add the granulated sugar, until the whites thicken and form soft but stiff peaks. Be careful here to not overbeat until they get to be too dry. The egg whites should still slightly droop when the whisk attachment is lifted...
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Add the vanilla, vanilla bean paste or scraped vanilla bean seeds. Whisk just until combined. Take the bowl from the mixer, as you will be adding the flour by hand.
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Sprinkle one-quarter of the flour mixture over the whites, and with a large rubber spatula, gently fold into the whites. Repeat this process with the remaining flour mixture, folding in only one-quarter at a time.
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Gently spread the batter evenly into an ungreased 10-inch angel food cake tube pan with removable bottom.
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From about 2 inches above the counter gently drop the pan to get any large air pockets.
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Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until the top is golden and springs back when gently pressed with your fingers, and a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
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Invert the cake pan onto the neck of a bottle or funnel. (If the cake tilts a little, that's ok.) Cool completely in the pan, 2 to 3 hours.
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To remove the cake from the pan, slip a flexible metal spatula carefully down the side of the pan. Slowly trace around the perimeter to release the cake.
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When the sides are free, push up on the removable bottom to remove the cake from the sides. Tilt the cake and gently tap the bottom of the pan against the counter to loosen the cake, rotating as you do so until the cake appears free. You may need to use the spatula. Cover the cake with a rack or a plate, and at the same time that you invert the cake onto the work surface, tap it firmly on the surface. Lift the pan from the cake.
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To serve, slice with a serrated knife using a sawing action. Serve with some whipped cream and some berries if desired.
