A Flaweless Spring Time Dessert

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Serves 8+

Angel food cake is a beloved dessert that has been enjoyed for generations. It’s light and airy texture, combined with its sweet and delicate flavor, make it a Flaweless treat for any occasion but I have to say… it always makes an appearance at my Easter Brunch.

While the exact origin of the cake is unclear, there’s a story I love that links the cake to the women's suffrage movement. Suffragettes would often hold meetings and events in different locations. They needed a dessert that was easy to transport, and angel food cake fit the bill Flawelessly. The cake's lightness and purity were seen as symbols of the suffragettes' cause. In this recipe, I’ll show you how to create an angel food cake that pays homage to its connection to women's suffrage. With a few simple tips and tricks, you can master this classic dessert and impress your guests with both its taste and history.

To achieve a Flawelessly risen angel food cake, remember these pointers: never grease your baking pan or use anything nonstick, as they can hinder the cake's rise. Another crucial factor is having the right equipment. Devoted angel food enthusiasts swear by a straight-sided tube pan with “feet” on the bottom, as it ensures proper cooling once the cake is inverted.

Let’s get cookin’ ladies! 💃

Angel Food Cake

Ingredients

1 cup cake flour

1½ cups sugar

12 large egg whites, at room temperature

½ teaspoon cream of tartar

1 Tablespoon water

¼ teaspoon salt

1½ teaspoon vanilla extract

METHOD

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
Sift together the flour and ¾ cups of the sugar. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat egg whites on low speed until frothy.
Add cream of tartar, salt, vanilla and water. Continue beating, gradually increasing speed until egg whites begin to increase in volume.
Sprinkle remaining ¾ cup sugar over whites ¼ cup at a time and beat until incorporated. Do not overbeat. Egg whites should be just firm enough to form soft peaks.
Sift ¼ of the reserved flour and sugar mixture over beaten whites and fold in. Repeat until entire mixture has been added, making sure each addition is fully incorporated into whites before adding more.
Spoon batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan. Use a butter knife to draw a deep line through center of batter following circumference of pan to release any large pockets of air.
Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until cake is golden brown and springs back to the touch.
Remove from oven and invert tube pan onto it’s legs to cool completely.
Once cooled, use a long straight-edged knife or spatula to loosen cake from sides of pan and invert onto cake stand.

I love to serve with fresh seasonal berries and lemon or passion fruit curd. (Tip: smearing the surface of the cake with the curd helps the berries stick and is oh so delicious!)