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How to Bake Angel Food Cake

Name: How to Bake Angel Food Cake
Yield: 12
Ingredients: 1 cup cake flour; 1¼ cups granulated sugar; 12 large eggs; 1½ teaspoons cream of tartar; ½ teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Angel food cake is all about the egg whites. Whip them to stiff peaks with cream of tartar, gently fold in sifted cake flour and sugar, then bake in an ungreased tube pan at 350°F for 35-40 minutes. Cool upside down so it doesn't collapse.

Total time: 1 hr 50 min
Hands-on: 20 min
Serves: 12
Difficulty: Hard

Ingredients

1 cup cake flour
1¼ cups granulated sugar
12 large eggs
1½ teaspoons cream of tartar
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Step by step

Prepare your pan and oven. Preheat oven to 350°F. Use a 10-inch tube pan with removable bottom, completely ungreased. Any fat will prevent the cake from climbing the sides properly.
Sift the dry ingredients. Sift together 1 cup cake flour and ½ cup granulated sugar three times. Set aside. This creates the lightest possible texture.
Separate the eggs. Separate 12 large eggs at room temperature. Save the yolks for something else. Even a speck of yolk will prevent proper whipping, so be careful.
Whip the egg whites. Beat egg whites with 1½ teaspoons cream of tartar and ½ teaspoon salt until foamy. Gradually add ¾ cup granulated sugar, beating until stiff, glossy peaks form.
Add vanilla. Gently fold in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract with a few strokes. Don't overmix.
Fold in flour mixture. Sift one-quarter of the flour mixture over the whites. Fold gently with a rubber spatula, cutting down and folding over. Repeat until all flour is incorporated. Work quickly but gently.
Transfer to pan. Spoon batter into the ungreased tube pan. Level gently with a knife, cutting through to release large air bubbles.
Bake the cake. Bake 35-40 minutes until the top springs back when lightly touched and cracks look dry. Don't open the oven door for the first 30 minutes.
Cool upside down. Immediately invert the pan onto a bottle or cooling rack. Let hang completely upside down for at least 1 hour. This prevents collapse.
Remove from pan. Run a thin knife around the edges and center tube. Turn out onto serving plate. Use a sawing motion with a serrated knife to slice.

Tips & troubleshooting

Room temperature egg whites whip higher than cold ones. Separate them 30 minutes before starting.
Your bowl and beaters must be completely clean and dry. Even a drop of water can prevent proper whipping.
Don't grease the pan. The batter needs to cling to the sides to rise properly.
Cooling upside down is not optional. The cake will collapse if cooled right-side up.

Variations

Chocolate Angel Food Cake. Replace ¼ cup of the cake flour with unsweetened cocoa powder. Sift the cocoa with the flour mixture.
Lemon Angel Food Cake. Add 2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest and 1 tablespoon lemon juice along with the vanilla extract.
Coconut Angel Food Cake. Fold in ½ cup sweetened flaked coconut with the last addition of flour mixture.

Questions

Why did my angel food cake fall?: Usually because the egg whites were overbeaten, the flour was mixed in too roughly, or the cake wasn't cooled upside down. The structure is delicate.
Can I make this without cream of tartar?: Cream of tartar stabilizes the egg whites. You can substitute with 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar, but the results won't be as reliable.
How do I know when the egg whites are ready?: Stiff peaks should stand straight up when you lift the beaters. They should look glossy, not dry or chunky.
Can I use regular flour instead of cake flour?: For every cup of cake flour, use ¾ cup all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons cornstarch. Sift together several times.