THE BEST ANGEL FOOD CAKE
Source of Recipe
Cooks Illustrated September, 1992 Original article and recipes by Brooke Dojny and Melanie Barnard
Recipe Introduction
With only six ingredients, angel food is the ultimate test of finesse and timing.
The Challenge: At its heavenly best, an angel food cake should be tall and perfectly shaped, have a snowy-white, tender crumb, and be encased in a thin, delicate, golden crust. The difficulty with making such a cake is that it requires a delicate balance of ingredients, and proper cooking techniques. In particular, since this cake is only leavened with beaten egg whites, it is critical that you whip them correctly. Overbeaten egg whites produce a flatter cake.
The Solution: Although most cookbooks call for beating egg whites at room temperature, we found no discernable difference in volume between the whites beaten at 72 degrees and those taken straight from the refrigerator. What we found key to creating a stable foam was the speed at which you beat the egg whites, starting at low speed just to break them up into a froth and increasing the speed to medium to form soft, billowy mounds. When large bubbles stop appearing around the edges, this is the point the sugar should be added, a tablespoon at a time. Once all the sugar is added the whites become shiny and form soft peaks when the beater is lifted. This is just right for making the perfect tall, light yet firm angel food cake.
List of Ingredients
1 cup sifted cake flour
1 1/2 cups sifted granulated sugar
12 large egg whites
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice teaspoon
1/2 almond extract
Recipe
1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Have ready an ungreased 9 3/4-inch angel food cake pan, preferably with a removable bottom, or use parchment or wax paper to line bottom of pan with nonremovable bottom.
2. In a small bowl, combine flour with 3/4 cup sugar. Place remaining 3/4 cup sugar next to the mixer. Use a whisk to completely combine and aerate flour/sugar mixture.
3. In a large, grease-free mixing bowl, beat egg whites at low speed until just broken up and beginning to froth. Add cream of tartar and salt and beat at medium speed until whites form very soft, billowy mounds. With the mixer still at medium speed, beat in 3/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until all sugar is added and whites are shiny and form soft peaks. Add vanilla, lemon juice, and almond extract and beat until just blended.
4. Place flour/sugar mixture in a sifter set over waxed paper. Sift flour mixture over egg whites about 3 tablespoons at a time, and gently fold it in, using a large rubber spatula, a large flat whisk, or your hand.
5. Gently scrape batter into pan, smooth the top, and give pan a couple of raps on the counter to release any large air bubbles.
6. Bake in lower third of oven for 50 to 60 minutes until cake is golden brown and the top springs back when pressed firmly.
7. If cake pan has feet, invert pan onto them. If not, invert pan over the neck of a bottle so that air can circulate all around it. Allow to cool completely for 2 to 3 hours before removing from pan.
8. To unmold, run a knife around edges, being careful not to dislodge the golden crust. Pull cake out of pan and cut the same way around removable bottom to release, or peel off parchment or wax paper, if used.
9. Cool cake completely, bottom side up. When completely cold, cut slices by sawing gently with a serrated knife or pulling with a taut thread through the cake. Serve cake the same day or freeze overnight if serving the next day. (Cake may be frozen for up to 2 weeks, but will compress slightly.)
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