Angel Food Cake (Master Recipe)

By Hklbrries

It's light, pairs perfectly with fresh berries and ice cream, and even is low-fat. It's summer's perfect dessert: angel food cake.

It's also wonderfully easy to make. So to help you sweeten up your summer table, we've given you a master recipe for this egg white-based confection, plus recipes for different ways to serve it - grilled and topped with fresh berries or layered with sorbet for a cool and refreshing torte.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups superfine sugar, divided
• 1 cup cake flour, sifted
• 12 egg whites, room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Preparation

Step 1

Heat the oven to 350 F.

In a medium bowl, sift together 1/2 cup of the sugar and the cake flour. Set aside.

In a large bowl use an electric mixer to whisk together the egg whites, salt, cream of tartar, and vanilla and almond extracts. Beat on medium-high until very foamy. With the mixer running, slowly add the remaining cup of sugar. Beat until stiff, glossy peaks form.

Sift half of the flour-sugar mixture over the egg whites and use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to gently fold into the egg mixture. Repeat with the remaining flour-sugar mixture. Transfer to an ungreased 10-inch tube pan or divide between 2 ungreased loaf pans. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes for a tube pan or 30 to 35 minutes for the loaf pans, or until a wooden skewer inserted at the center comes out dry.

Overturn the tube pan onto the neck of a wine or similar bottle and cool. Loaf pans can be turned on their sides or overturned onto cooling racks. To remove the cakes from the pan, slide a paring knife around the edge.

Nutrition Information:
Per serving
120 calories
0 calories from fat (0 percent of total calories)
0 g fat (0 g saturated; 0 g trans fats)
0 mg cholesterol
27 g carbohydrates
5 g protein
0 g fiber
95 mg sodium