Angel Food Cake

When thinking back on all the things my Papa baked in his lifetime, it becomes obvious his angel food cake was considered his trademark.  It all began when he learned he had high cholesterol, long before I was born.  When looking for a more heart healthy recipe, he stumbled upon angel food cake.  I have no idea where the original recipe came from, but it appears to have come from a newspaper.  The recipe is taped together, tattered, and yellowed - an obvious favorite.  I grew up with this tall, fluffy cake on my grandparents' counter as if it were a coffee pot or toaster, always part of the decor.  I would stare wide-eyed at the cake, upside-down on a wine bottle, as it cooled.  I have to tell you it takes some guts to take your perfect, golden cake out of the oven and turn the pan completely upside-down!  Just take a deep breath and cross your fingers and it should go according to plan.  However, be warned that even my Papa had a cake or two fall in his day.  As I got older, I found out that this was not your typical angel food cake.  "What is that??"  I remember asking about a very short, square white cake I was served at a friend's house.  When I was told it was angel food cake, I was puzzled.  It was certainly not the angel food cake I was used to seeing!  Take some time to follow this recipe and you'll understand!

Angel Food Cake
1 3/4 cups egg whites (12-14 extra large eggs)
1 1/4 cups cake flour
1 3/4 cups sugar, divided
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract


1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2.  In large bowl, let egg whites warm to room temperature - about 1 hour.
3.  Sift cake flour with 3/4 cup sugar; resift 3 times; set aside.
4.  With electric mixer, at high speed, beat egg whites with salt and cream of tartar until soft peaks form when beater is slower raised.
5.  Gradually beat in remaining 1 cup sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, beating well after each addition.  Continue to beat until stiff peaks form when beater is slowly raised.

Stiff peaks

6.  With rubber spatula or wire whisk, gently fold extracts into egg whites until combined.

7.  Sift flour mixture, 1/4 at a time, over egg whites.  With wire whisk or rubber spatula, using an under-and-over motion, gently fold in each addition with 15 strokes, rotating bowl a quarter of a turn after each addition.

8.  Then fold an additional 10 strokes; flour mixture should be blended into egg whites.

9.  With rubber spatula, gently push batter into ungreased 10-inch tube pan.  With spatula or knife, cut through batter twice.

10.  With rubber spatula, gently spread batter in pan until it is smooth on top and touches side of pan.

11.  Bake, on lower oven rack, 35-40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

12.  Invert pan over neck of bottle (a wine bottle seems to work best); let cake cool completely - about 2 hours.

13.  Serve with fruit and/or cool whip, but it's delicious all by itself!