What is lighter than air, sweet but with zero fat?  What can be dressed up with sliced strawberries, frosted with chocolate whipped cream, or have grated coconut incorporated?  What uses up extra egg whites that you’ve accumulated from baking?  I freeze my extra egg whites until I have 1 1/2 cups worth, enough to make an easy angel food cake.  If you have only ever tasted store-bought angel food cake and found it tasted like cardboard, then you really need to taste this homemade version…light, ethereal, moist with just the right amount of sweetness…and oh my…if you love coconut, then you will find heaven in a coconut angel food cake!!!!

Do not be afraid or intimidated from trying this recipe just because it’s a meringue.  If you use room temperature egg whites and cream of tartar you can expect maximum volume with little fear of your foam deflating while folding…couldn’t be easier!

Angel Food Cake

 

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup cake flour
• 1 1/2 cups egg whites (12) at room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, with rack on lowest position.

Sift together powdered sugar and flour into a medium mixing bowl and set aside.

In a stand mixer, mix egg whites with cream of tartar until frothy on medium speed.  Beat in granulated tablespoon by tablespoon, then vanilla and salt and turn speed up to high.

 

 

 

Continue beating until the meringue has expanded to fill 3/4 of the bowl, and is stiff and glossy.  Do not worry about overbeating, or deflation as the cream of tartar protects your meringue.  (approx 5 minutes)

 

 

 

Sift the powdered sugar-flour mixture 1/4 cup at a time over the surface of the meringue and fold in, just until the dry ingredients disappear before adding the next 1/4 cup.  (if adding 1 cup grated coconut, fold it in now).  Do not over fold.  When the dry ingredients are incorporated, put your spatula down and walk away!

 

Just teasing, don’t walk away…..spoon batter into clean, dry angel food pan.  (do not grease or it will not rise).  Gently run a thin metal knife through the batter to eliminate large bubbles.

 

 

 

Bake 30-35 minutes until cracks on top feel dry and it springs back when touched.

 

 

 

 

Remove from oven and immediately turn cake upside down while still in pan.

 

 

 

 

Let cool for 2 hours.  Using a thin, sharp knife, loosen cake from pan and serve upside down.