Angel Food Cake

The classic American angel food cake, which is snowy white, is based on egg whites with no egg yolks or fat. Because it is so delicate, a mystique surrounds its preparation, but in fact the principles are the same as for other whisked cakes.

Cake flour must be used, as its low gluten content gives a particularly light, moist texture. Some cooks also like to use confectioners’ sugar for lightness. The beating of the egg whites is especially important: when they start to foam, a pinch of cream of tartar is added to stiffen them. As soon as they form stiff peaks, a portion of sugar is added to make a light meringue. Careful folding of the mixture is essential as the eggs must not be overbeaten and dry: this would make them difficult to incorporate into the other ingredients. The cake should be baked as soon as possible after mixing and must be protected from drafts during and after baking. For this reason, angel food cake is always left to cool inside the upturned pan. Some angel food cake pans have legs that hold the inverted pan up, helping it to cool.