Angel food cake or egg white cake

One of the most classic bundt pans is the Nordic Ware Angel Bundt pan. It is a very popular pan because, being a round, smooth and tall pan, it is very versatile and allows for a multitude of recipes and combinations.

But the classic recipe for this type of cake is the cake that bears the same name, the Angel Food Cake, and that is the delicious recipe that Miriam, author of El Invitado de Invierno , brings us today. You will find in this cake a light and fluffy appearance, a white interior and a soft flavor, and you will understand why they call it that!

Angel food cake is one of the sweetest-named desserts I know: angel food cake. But we'll forgive him because it's deadly.

This cake is made with egg whites only as a leavening agent; it is prepared with a meringue which is what makes it rise in the oven. It has few ingredients since the meringue is mixed with flour and some flavoring only. The result is an extremely spongy and soft cake.

Apparently born in the United States, angel food cake is traditionally prepared in a characteristic truncated, detachable cone-shaped mould that also has a hole in the centre to facilitate baking. The mould is not greased before pouring the batter, according to the wise men, so that the batter does not leak and can rise as much as possible. For this reason, once it has cooled, it must be removed from the mould with a knife or spatula, which gives it a characteristic flaky appearance.

As is very common in the United States, this cake is served with various accompaniments, such as fresh fruit, compotes, whipped cream, yogurt or even topped with a multitude of glazes, although here I have opted for the easiest option, which is to sprinkle it with icing sugar. Because let's be honest, this way we hide that slightly grimy surface.

Ingredients

• 360 ml of egg whites (about 12 eggs)
• 1 tsp cream of tartar (optional)
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 125 g baking flour
• 300 g of white sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Elaboration

We will have the egg whites at room temperature; warm egg whites fluff up more than cold egg whites.

We sift the flour together with half of the sugar, 150 g. If our sieve has holes that are too small, we can do it in a strainer . We set aside.

We start to beat the egg whites at high speed and when they are foamy we add the cream of tartar, lemon juice and salt, without stopping beating. The cream of tartar serves to stabilize the egg whites, but it is not essential.

When the egg whites are stiff and begin to form peaks, add the remaining sugar, spoon by spoon, without rushing and without stopping beating. Once all the sugar has been incorporated, continue beating until, when you take a small portion of meringue and rub it between your fingers, you can no longer see the sugar grains. The meringue will then be ready.

Add the sifted flour and sugar mixture in four additions, mixing each time with circular movements. When the entire mixture is incorporated, pour it into the mold and level the surface with a spatula or spoon .

Bake the cake in a preheated oven at 180° (without air), on a low setting, for 40 to 45 minutes. Test it with a skewer and remove it from the oven.

This cake has the peculiarity that it is left to cool already inverted, for which the mold has those little legs that you see in the photo. We invert it as soon as we take it out of the oven and let it cool completely.

Once it has cooled, we will have to pass a knife or a spatula between the cake and the mould in order to remove it. We invert it onto a plate or a stand , decorate it to our liking and serve it. Enjoy!