Angel Food Cake

My kitchen has smelled heavenly this weekend, but then again it should.  Yesterday, I baked an Angel Food Cake!

I have some luscious strawberries and I just love angel food cake with strawberries.  Growing up, we had angel food cake often, mostly from a boxed mix, served plain without frosting.  Grandma used to make a glaze for hers, but  mom never frosted her angel food cakes.  Like mom, I'm a purist when it comes to angel food cake.  I want mine without frosting.

I've been known to be lazy and just buy a ready-made cake at the grocery, but not this weekend.  When I saw that they wanted nearly $5 for one, I drove my cart straight to the dariy section and purchased a dozen extra large eggs and came home and made my own.  It took very little time and while had hoped for a loftier result, it is sufficient and it is a perfect combination of light sweetness.

The cake preparation took me on a trip down memory lane.  Most angel food cakes require a tube pan.  The tube pan I have belonged to my grandmother.   It is still shiny but it definitely shows its age.  The other thing I needed was a glass soda bottle that I had stored under the sink.  That is needed for inverting the cake so it cools upside down and doesn't collapse.  Lastly, I had to go to the cabinet in the garage for the cake carrier, yet another memory because it was my grandmothers carrier.

Now let's go warp speed to this century to newer kitchen gadgets.  One of my all time favorites, a battery powdered sifter.  Don't knock it until you've tried it.  This is the second one I've owned.  My first one was broken during a a move and I finally found a replacement.

Think of it as a power tool for girls!

Angel Food Cake

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups egg whites (I used 9 extra large eggs)
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar




Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Separate eggs, taking extreme care to not break the yolks.  If you break a yolk, put the whole egg in another bowl and start with another egg.  Getting even a speck of yolk will cause your egg whites to not beat up properly.  Use a separate bowl for catching the egg white and add it to the collection bowl for measuring only after you are sure there is absolutely no yolk in it.
3. Measure the egg whites.  You will need 1 1/2 cups.  Depending on the size of your eggs it could take as few as 9 or as many as 12.
4. Place the whites in a mixing bowl.  Make sure that your bowl, beaters and utensils are grease free. 
5. Let the egg whites stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, sift the powdered sugar flour together three (yes three) times; set aside.
7. Add the cream of tartar, vanilla and almond extracts and salt to the bowl wth the egg whites.
8. Beat on high speed.  
9. Gradually add the granulated sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, beating until the sugar has dissolved and stiff peaks form.
10. Fold in the flour mixture 1/4 cup at a time until blended.
11. Gently spoon into an ungreased 10 inch tube pan.  Cut through the batter with a knife to remove air pockets.
12. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 40-45 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched.
13. Immediate invert pan onto glass soda bottle; cool completely before removing from pan.



Angel Food Cake with Strawberry-Rhubarb Jam and Whipped Cream