Food and Wine Angel Food Cake

By charlotteh371

Ingredients

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 cups egg whites
• 1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt

Preparation

Step 1

preheat the oven to 350. In a bowl, whisk the flour with 3/4 cup of sugar. in a large mixing bowl, using the electric mixer, beat the egg whites on low speed until foamy. increase the speed to medium and beat for 8 seconds, then add the cream of tartar, vanilla and salt. increase the speed to high. hold the remaining 3/4 cup of sugar about 6 inches above the bowl and gradually let it flow into the whites in a thin stream. when all the sugar has been incorporated, scrape with a large rubber spatula. continue beating at high speed until the whites are firm and shiny but not at all dry.

with the mixer on low, slowly sift one third of the flour and sugar mixture over the whites. scrape all around the bowl with the spatula. sift half of the remaining flour mixture over the whites and beat at the lowest speed until blended; repeat with the remaining flour mixture.

using the spatula, scoop the batter into an ungreased 10 inch tube pan. lighly smooth the top. bake in the center of the oven for about 40mins, or until a tester inserted in the middle comes out completely clean. if any moist crumbs cling to the tester, bake the cake for 5mins more and test again.

Gently remove the pan from the oven, turn it upside down and let the cake cool completely. if your pan does not have metal legs to raise it up so that air can circulate below the cake, you can suspend it over the neck of a bottle or rest it on top of glasses. when the cake is cool, run a knife around the pan and around the tube to loosen it. turn the cake out onto a platter and serve.