This Old-Fashioned Cake Deserves a Second Chance

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Classic Angel Food Cake Recipe


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Angel food cake, a timeless dessert, is believed to have originated from 19th-century cooks in the American South or German immigrants in St. Louis. This light and airy sponge cake owes its delicate crumb to whipped egg whites, cream of tartar, and cake flour. Sifting the cake flour is crucial to prevent clumping and ensure easy incorporation into the batter. The addition of ginger adds a subtle warmth to the cake, but you can experiment with other flavorings like almond extract or cardamom.


This butter-free recipe relies on properly aerated egg whites. Use a stand mixer or high-speed hand mixer to achieve stiff peaks without overmixing. Leftover egg yolks can be used to create a vanilla custard or fruit curd to accompany the cake.


For baking, it's essential to use a tube pan with a removable bottom for the cake to rise tall and fluffy. Avoid nonstick pans as the cake needs traction to climb. Cooling the cake inverted prevents collapse, and trimming the edges ensures a clean release.




Recipe Information



  • Total Time: 2 hours plus cooling

  • Yield: 8 servings




Ingredients



  • 1½ cups (350 g–385 g) egg whites from 10–11 large eggs

  • 1 Tbsp. warm water

  • 1 cup (120 g) sifted cake flour, not self-rising; sift before measuring

  • 1¼ cups (238 g) superfine granulated sugar

  • 1 Tbsp. ground ginger (optional)

  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract

  • 1 tsp. cream of tartar

  • ½ tsp. kosher salt

  • Whipped cream and berries or sliced peaches, for serving (optional)


Special equipment:


a 10x4" tube pan with removable bottom and a standing electric mixer




Preparation




  1. Step 1


    Place rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 375°F.




  2. Step 2


    Put whites and water in a very clean large metal bowl and swirl over simmering water or a gas flame until barely warm. Sift together flour, ¼ cup sugar, and ginger 4 times onto a sheet of wax paper.




  3. Step 3


    Beat whites in standing electric mixer on medium speed until frothy. Add vanilla, cream of tartar, and salt. Increase speed to medium-high and beat just until soft peaks begin to form. Gradually beat in remaining cup sugar. Sift one third of flour mixture over whites. Beat on low speed just until blended. Sift and beat in remaining flour in 2 more batches.




  4. Step 4


    Gently pour batter into ungreased tube pan and smooth top. Run a rubber spatula or long knife through batter to eliminate any large air bubbles.




  5. Step 5


    Bake until golden and a tester comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Remove cake from oven and immediately invert pan. Cool cake completely, upside down.




  6. Step 6


    Serve cake with whipped cream and fruit, if desired.






Cooks’ Notes


To preserve the texture of angel food cake, consider using traditional methods like tearing with forks or a cake breaker.



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