Homemade Angel Food Cake

Here follows my favorite recipe for angel food cake. It comes from my1996 edition of Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book. Once you try it, you'll never feel the need to use a boxed mix again!

What you will need:

1 1/2 cups of egg whites (10-12 large)

1 1/2 cups of sifted powdered sugar

1 cup of sifted cake flour or sifted all-purpose flour (~I use all purpose:)

1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1 cup of granulated sugar

In your largest mixing bowl, allow the egg whites to reach room temperature. (~this takes about 30 minutes)

Meanwhile, sift the powdered sugar and flour together three times. Set aside.

(Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and remove all but the lowest oven rack.)

Add the cream of tartar and vanilla to the egg whites, and beat with an electric mixer, on medium speed, until soft peaks form (the tips of the peaks will curl over). Gradually add the granulated sugar, sprinkling in about two tablespoons at a time, and beating until stiff peaks form (the peaks will stand straight up) .

Sift about one-fourth of the dry mixture over the beaten egg whites, and very gently fold it in with a spatula. Repeat, folding in remaining dry mixture by fourths. Pour into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan, and gently cut through the batter with a knife to remove any large air pockets.

Bake on the lowest rack for 40-45 minutes or until the top springs back lightly when touched and is a lovely golden brown, as shown below:

Immediately invert the pan, leaving the cake inside, and cool completely.

Once cooled, loosen the sides of the cake from the pan (~I run a knife, with a gentle sawing motion, between the cake and the pan.) Serve as desired, and enjoy!

*For the cake I made on Monday, I decided to cut it into three layers, and spread a homemade lemon curd between them. Here is the recipe for lemon curd from Joy Of  Cooking:

In a medium saucepan whisk together until light in color:

3 large eggs

1/3 cup of sugar

Grated zest of one lemon (~ I didn't have a lemon, so I used a few drops of lemon extract)

Add:

1/2 cup strained fresh lemon juice (as I mentioned above, I was lemon-less, so I substituted the same amount of bottled lemon juice)

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Cook, whisking, over medium heat, until the butter is melted. Then whisk constantly until the mixture is thickened and simmers gently for a few seconds. Using a spatula, scrape the filling into a bowl. Stir in:

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Let cool, cover, and refrigerate to thicken. This keeps, refrigerated, for about 1 week.

Finally, I topped off the cake with a simple powdered sugar glaze. Here is how I made it:

In a small bowl I mixed a few drops of lemon extract with about 1/2 cup of powdered sugar. I stirred in just enough water (a teaspoon or so) to get it to the consistency I desired, and then drizzled it over the cake.

So there you are!

(The kids and I finished up the last of it yesterday....

....I think it may be time to make chocolate custard....;)