Angel Food Cake

Most of my baking is done based on my own choices. Sometimes I have a new recipe to try or other times I may bake up something old and familiar. A time I don’t choose what to bake is when we’re celebrating a family member’s birthday. Each one has their own group of favorite cakes or desserts, so I have an idea what might be requested. This year though, my daughter threw me a curve when I asked her for her birthday cake order. She told me she wanted an angel food cake with fresh strawberries. I love angel food cakes, but it has been years since one has been baked in my oven. The first step in fulfilling her request was to locate my recipe.

My Southern Living Annual Cookbook from 1986 was the source of the perfect angel food cake recipe. After finding the recipe though, I realized I didn’t have the right pan to bake the cake. I decided to substitute one of my smaller decorative Bundt pans and a loaf pan in place of the 10-inch tube pan. That wasn’t exactly a good choice. The loaf pan worked fine, but I wouldn’t recommend baking an angel food cake in a Bundt pan. The one I used had small flower designs on the top, and those came out looking like bumps around the cake. Fortunately it was only an aesthetic issue, not one that affected the taste.

Print Recipe
(recipe adapted from Southern Living)

Angel Food Cake

12 egg whites, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
1 cup cake flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Beat egg whites and salt until foamy. Add cream of tartar, continue beating until soft peaks form. Add 1 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating until stiff peaks form.

Sift flour and remaining 1/2 cup sugar together. Gently fold flour mixture, almond extract, and vanilla extract into egg whites.

Spoon batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Invert cake onto wire rack; cool for 1 hour or until completely cool. Remove cake from pan.

This is a simple recipe to make. Anyone who can beat egg whites until they’re stiff can bake an angel food cake. Even though it has been many years since I have baked an angel food cake, and I used the wrong kind of pan, the cake still turned out great, bumps and all. This cake may look funny, but it was delicious. I would still advise you to get the right pan if you make this recipe. I know I’ll be putting a 10-inch tube pan on my shopping list. If Susan asks for an angel food cake next year I’ll be ready.