Angel Food Cake (Printable Version)

A light, airy confection made from whipped egg whites, perfectly sweet and delicate.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 1 cup cake flour, sifted
02 - 1½ cups granulated sugar, divided
03 - ¼ teaspoon fine salt

→ Egg Mixture

04 - 12 large egg whites, room temperature
05 - 1½ teaspoons cream of tartar
06 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
07 - ½ teaspoon almond extract (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Ensure angel food cake tube pan is clean and completely dry - do not grease.
02 - Sift together cake flour, ¾ cup sugar, and salt. Repeat sifting three times for optimal aeration.
03 - Beat egg whites on medium-high speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and continue beating until soft peaks form.
04 - Gradually add remaining ¾ cup sugar in small increments while beating until stiff, glossy peaks form. Add vanilla and almond extracts; mix gently.
05 - Sift flour mixture over whipped egg whites in 3 additions, folding gently with spatula after each addition just until combined. Do not overmix.
06 - Spoon batter evenly into ungreased tube pan. Smooth top and run knife through batter to remove large air pockets.
07 - Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden and springs back when lightly touched.
08 - Immediately invert pan onto bottle or wire rack. Cool completely upside down for 1-2 hours.
09 - Run thin knife around edges to loosen and release cake. Serve plain or with fresh berries and whipped cream.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The texture is like eating a sweet cloud, light as air but with enough structure to hold its own with fresh berries
  • It needs no butter or oil, making it the perfect ending to a rich meal when you want something sweet but not heavy
  • That dramatic upside-down cooling moment never fails to make kitchen guests stop and ask what on earth youre doing
02 -
  • Any trace of egg yolk or grease in your bowl will prevent the whites from whipping properly—use glass or metal bowls, not plastic
  • Overmixing during the folding stage will deflate your batter and create a dense, sad cake instead of an airy triumph
  • Cooling upside down is what keeps the cake from collapsing—the structure sets while suspended
03 -
  • Separate your eggs while cold but let whites come to room temperature before whipping—about 30 minutes on the counter does the trick
  • Use a large balloon whisk or the whisk attachment on a stand mixer—hand beaters will work but your arm will regret it
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