Light and Fluffy Angel Food Cake
It’s light, unbelievably tender, and has the most delicate crumb. And with only a touch of sweetness, it lets the fresh strawberries and cream shine.
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 153kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup cake flour
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 12 large egg whites at room temperature
- 1 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line the bottom of a 16-cup tube pan with parchment paper (do not grease).
- In a medium bowl, sift the flour and ¾ cup of the sugar (place the remaining ¾ cup of sugar in a separate small bowl).
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or an electric hand beater), begin whisking the egg whites over medium-low speed. Add the cream of tartar and salt and whisk until the mixture is foamy (this process should take about 1 minute). Turn the mixer to medium-high speed and whip the egg white mixture to a puffy, frothy cloud-like texture (1 minute). Slowly add the ¾ cup of sugar that you had set aside—a heaping tablespoon at a time—until you achieve soft, glossy peaks (about 2 minutes). Add the vanilla and almond extracts and beat until incorporated (20 to 30 seconds).
- Begin adding the sifted flour and sugar mixture to the whipped egg whites—about ¼ cup at a time—and use a rubber spatula to gently fold it into the egg whites. Repeat until all the flour/sugar is incorporated.
- Spoon the batter into your prepared tube pan. Swirl a butter knife through the batter to help pop/release any air bubbles and then smooth the top of the cake with a rubber spatula. Bake until the top is golden brown and the cake springs back when you press a finger into the top, 52 to 55 minutes.
- Invert the tube pan onto your countertop (especially easy to do if the tube pan has prongs or “feet” on the sides) or onto a wire cooling rack and let cool completely upside down (to prevent deflating). Run a butter knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the cake and then remove it from the pan, peeling off the bottom layer of parchment paper.
- Serve slices of angel food cake with sweetened whipped cream and chopped strawberries.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Cooks Illustrated "Best Angel Food Cake"
Nutrition
Calories: 153kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 99mg | Potassium: 111mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 25g | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 0.1mg