Before I get to this (fantastic) recipe, I have an important announcement. I’m honored that this blog has been selected as a finalist for the Cucina Blog Awards of Corriere della Sera, for the category of Best Food Writing! But now I need your help to win! You can vote for my blog on the awards website here. We will find out the winners on March 23rd, so stay tuned!
Now for the important stuff: this beautiful cake. Angel food cake is similar in appearance to the chiffon cake, which I published a couple weeks ago, yet with one key difference: angel food cake contains no added fats (no oil, butter or egg yolks), but a higher sugar content than the chiffon. It is a cloud-like, airy, and neutral cake that works as a perfect vehicle for many toppings: dark chocolate, whipped cream and fresh fruit, pastry cream, etc. It’s best if prepared in a angel-food/chiffon pan but you may use a normal tube pan in a pinch as well. Have fun, and remember to vote for me!
Angel Food Cake
- 2/3 cup (85 g) cake flour
- 1 1/2 cups (300 g) sugar, divided
- 13 egg whites, at room temp
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 vanilla bean
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon almond flavoring
Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). With a fine sieve, sift together flour and 3/4 cups sugar; set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed, beat together egg whites, cream of tartar and salt until foamy. Beat until soft peaks form. Increase speed to medium-high and sprinkle in remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Beat until stiff but not dry. In several additions, sift dry ingredients over meringue, folding in quickly but gently.
Pour batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan with removable bottom. Smooth top with an offset spatula. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until golden brown and springy to touch. Invert pan on its legs or over the neck of a glass bottle and let cool completely, about 1 hour.
Carefully run a knife around the inner and outer perimeter of the pan to release cake. Invert onto a plate and serve alone or with powdered sugar, whipped cream, fresh fruit, etc.
