If you have never made angel food cake before, it’s a fun process. A stand mixer is very helpful. To make the cake, we beat lots of egg whites in a stand mixer until they turn white and have firm peaks. By firm peaks, I mean that when you lift the whisk out of the eggs, the mixture doesn’t fall back onto itself and instead stands tall. Next we add sugar and beat until thick and shiny and finally we gently fold in flour. The cake bakes for about 35 minutes and becomes light and airy. It’s hard to wait until it’s completely cool, but once it is, a slice dusted with powdered sugar and served alongside whipped cream and berries is divine. Recipe updated, originally posted April 2011. Since posting this in 2011, we have tweaked the recipe to be more clear. – Adam and Joanne 1 1/3 cups sifted cake flour 1 1/2 cups egg whites, at room temperature (10 to 12 eggs) 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract Zest from 2 lemons (about 1 1/2 teaspoons) Powdered sugar, whipped cream and berries for serving 2Add 1/2 cup of the sugar and the flour to a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl. Sift then repeat 3 more times. 3Add the egg whites, salt and cream of tarter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on high speed until the egg whites make firm peaks, 1 to 2 minutes. 4Turn the mixer to medium speed then slowly sprinkle in the remaining 1 and 1/2 cups of sugar. Continue to beat until the egg whites are thick and shiny, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the vanilla and lemon zest then whisk another minute. 5Switch to a rubber spatula then sift about 1/4 of the flour mixture over the egg whites and fold it into the eggs. Repeat this process, by sifting and folding another 1/4 of the flour mixture until all of the flour is incorporated. 6Spoon the batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan and smooth the top. Bake until the cake springs back when lightly touched, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and turn the pan upside down and place on a cooling rack until cool. 7When cool remove the cake from the pan and serve dusted with powdered sugar on top.
