Angel food cake recipe: how to make an egg-white sponge cake

The angel food cake is one of the corniest-named sweets I know: angel food sponge. But let's forgive it because it's deadly good. In this recipe you'll find a cake with a light, fluffy appearance, an intense white interior and a delicate flavor, and you'll understand why it's called that.

This cake is made using only egg whites as the leavening agent; it's prepared with a meringue that makes it rise in the oven. It has few ingredients, since the meringue is mixed only with flour and a bit of flavoring. The result is an extremely airy and soft sponge.

Apparently born in the United States, the angel food cake is traditionally baked in a characteristic removable tapered tube pan that also has a hole in the center to aid baking. The pan is not greased before pouring in the batter the experts say, so that it doesn't slip and can rise as much as possible. For that reason, once cool it must be separated from the pan with a knife or spatula, which gives it a characteristic flaked appearance.

As is very common in the United States this cake is served with various accompaniments, like fresh fruit, compotes, whipped cream, yogurt or it can even be covered with a multitude of glazes, although here I chose the simplest option, which is to dust it with powdered sugar. Because let's be honest, that helps disguise that slightly scruffy surface.

Worth noting! One of the most classic bundt-style pans is the Angel Bundt pan by Nordic Ware. It's a pan that's popular because, being round, smooth and tall, it offers lots of versatility and allows for many recipes and combinations.

Ingredients

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

*Have the egg whites at room temperature; room-warm whites whip up more than cold ones.

Preparation

1. Sift the flour together with half of the sugar, 150 g. If your sifter has holes that are too small you can do it using a sieve. Set aside.
2. Start whipping the egg whites on high speed and when they are foamy add the cream of tartar, the lemon juice and the salt, without stopping beating. Cream of tartar helps stabilize the whites, but it's not essential.
3. When the whites are very whipped and begin to form peaks, gradually add the remaining sugar, tablespoon by tablespoon, without rushing and without stopping to beat. Once all the sugar is incorporated continue beating until, when you take a small portion of meringue and rub it between your fingers, you can't feel the grain of the sugar. Then the meringue will be ready.
4. Add the sifted flour-and-sugar mixture in four additions, folding each time with gentle enveloping movements. When all the mixture is incorporated pour it into the pan and level the surface with a spatula or a spoon.
5. Bake the cake in a preheated oven at 180° (without fan), on a low rack, for 40 to 45 minutes. Test doneness with a skewer and remove it from the oven.
6. This cake has the particularity that it is left to cool inverted, for which the pan has those little feet you can see in the photo. Invert it as soon as you take it out of the oven and let it cool completely.
7. Once cold you'll need to run a knife or spatula between the cake and the pan to detach it. Turn it over onto a serving platter or a stand, decorate it as you like and serve. Enjoy.

About the recipe author: This classic Angel Food Cake recipe was prepared for us by Miriam, author of El Invitado de Invierno.