The Lightest Cake of Them All

Last weekend I was browsing through the cooking and baking aisles at Meijer and happened to see an angel food cake pan on clearance. My husband loves angel food cake but I have never bought or made one for him. I figured I might as well buy the pan because it would work great for monkey bread too. I knew the cake took lots of egg whites so I grabbed a dozen eggs and decided I would make angel food cake with the egg whites and ice cream with the egg yolks.

My friend Jessica made this recipe a couple weeks ago (with a few slight modifications) and just raved about it and said I had to try it. So try it I did. She was right, this cake was so light and fluffy and amazing. Such a breeze to whip up too. Next time, I might try to reduce the sugar a little bit, the cake was a little more sugary than I remember angel food cake being. Thumbs up all the way around from everyone that tried the cake.

Here is a picture of the cutest little angel food cake thief I have ever seen. Little Jake decided that his dad did not deserve the cake and wanted to try it himself.

Don't forget to come back soon to check out the ice cream recipe I picked, it is still in liquid state chilling in the fridge but it tastes amazing!!

Angel Food Cake
Source: Baking Illustrated, by Cooks Illustrated

Ingredients
1 cup (3 ounces) sifted cake flour
1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) sifted granulated sugar
12 large egg whites (1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons), at room temperature
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons juice from one lemon
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Directions
1. 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.
2. Whisk the flour with 3/4 cup sugar in a small bowl. Place remaining 3/4 cup sugar in another small bowl next to the mixer.
3. Beat the egg whites in the bowl of a standing mixer at low speed until just broken up and beginning to froth. Add the 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 the whites are shiny and form soft peaks. Add vanilla, lemon juice, and almond extract and beat until just blended.
4. Place the 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.
5. Gently scrape the batter into the pan, smooth the top with a spatula, and give pan a couple of raps on the counter to release any large air bubbles.
6. Bake until the cake is golden brown and the top springs back when pressed firmly, 50 to 60 minutes.
7. If the cake pan has prongs around the rim for elevating the cake, invert pan onto them. If the pann does not have prongs, 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.
8. To unmold, run a knife around edges of the pan, 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.

Serves 10-12
Per Serving: Cal 150; Fat 0 g; Sat fat 0 g; Chol 0 mg; Carb 33 g; Protein 4 g; Fiber 0 g; Sodium 105 mg