Tasty Tuesday: National Angel Food Cake Day

TASTY TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2021 – NATIONAL ANGEL FOOD CAKE DAY

National Angel Food Cake Day is coming up on Sunday, October 10th! Personally, I am a huge fan of angel food cake – I grew up frequently enjoying angel food cake as a special treat. It’s less sugar, no egg yolks and easy to make – it just takes a lot of egg whites. You can decorate them for special occasions, (see below) eat it plain or eat with fresh fruit. YUM!

Food shops and bakeries usually have angel food cake – and because it seems difficult to make, most people usually buy one. BUT I must tell you, homemade angel food cakes are much more flavorful. I’m sharing an easy recipe – I hope you will try it. Enjoy!

ANGEL FOOD CAKE

Ingredients

2 cups sugar, divided

1 1/3 cup cake flour or all-purpose flour (not self-rising)

12 egg whites

¾ teaspoon salt

1 ½ teaspoons cream of tartar

¾ teaspoon vanilla

1 ½ teaspoons grated lemon zest – optional (you could use orange, lime as well)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 deg F.
  2. In a mixer bowl beat the egg whites, salt, and cream of tarter until stiff peaks form. (1-2 minutes)
  3. On medium speed, add sugar by gradually sprinkling it over the beaten egg whites. Whisk – beat – until shiny and thick.
  4. Add the vanilla and zest if using. Beat about 1 more minute.
  5. Remove bowl from mixer and add the flour by hand, mixing in about ¼-1/3 cup at a time and blending with a rubber spatula slowly without deflating the egg whites until all flour is added. Just until you can’t see any loose flour.
  6. Pour into an UNGREASED 10” tube pan. Smooth top and bake 35-40 minutes until springs back with light touch and is browned. (If making half recipe use a small tube pan.)
  7. Remove cake from oven and invert on a flat surface. (My 10” pan has “legs” to hold it up. I used to have a tube pan that I had to set on an empty glass bottle to let it cool so the cake wouldn’t sink.) Let it cool inverted.
  8. When cool, run a spatula or knife around outside and center tube to loosen and remove the cake (with the bottom of the pan) from the sides. Then run the knife or spatula around the “top” of the cake and remove the bottom to show your flat top angel food cake. Place on a dish or cake board.

This freezes well, I like to cut into “slices” and freeze so I can just remove what I want to eat. But I can tell you, the fresh baked cake will not last long.  It is THAT good!

Bon Appetite’ With Love,

Granni K

To download this recipe, click here.