Karen's Angel Food Cake

Our friend Karen had a passion for baking Angel food cakes. Because she thought eating store bought Angel Food cake was like chewing on sponges, she started making them from scratch regularly for her husband, Ray, when she figured out he liked them so much.

If you can imagine this, Ray once told me, "our kids were never cake kids and knowing it was cake we couldn't even get them to try it. That was fine for me as I had the whole thing to myself. Then, after several months and five or six cakes later, I must have appeared to be enjoying them too much because my daughter, Heather, tried some and loved it. She told her brothers and all of a sudden I only had 1/4 of a cake to myself—at best". Karen's cake has become a family favorite in our house too.

Shortcut chef: Life is short, bake this for those you love with any loved ones that happen to be hanging around. Separate the egg whites ahead, lay out all the ingredients and gather your tools. Don't forget the egg whites should be room temperature when you start whisking them, so plan on pulling them out of the refrigerator 10-15 minutes before you're ready to whip.

From mom's lips to your ears: Don't over do the almond extract, it's perfect the way it is.

If the Queen's coming for dinner: You must serve this cake. Presented on a cake stand it makes a dramatic entrance even a Queen can appreciate. I'd probably serve it to her with heaps of sugared berries poured over the cake and dollops of real whipped cream.

Tip: Chocolate you're craving? Karen's secret to instant chocolate glazed cakes was to melt a single size chocolate bar (milk or dark) and pour it right over the cake. Optional show stopping toppings: scatter a pint of fresh raspberries or sliced strawberries over the chocolate glazed cake. Dip fresh strawberries into melted chocolate and arrange them on top of the cake. Sprinkle entire cake with confectioner's sugar for a fancy finish.

Tip: The recipe calls for you to sift the flour three times. Do it, it really makes a difference. You have to sift the sugar once too. Don't cut corners here, the cake is perfect.

Guy-ometer: If my wife says it's a healthier option than it must be but it tastes just as good as regular cake.

Yield: 10 Servings

Ingredients

1 1/4	cups egg whites, at room temperature (about 9 large eggs)
1/4	teaspoon salt
1	teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4	teaspoon almond extract
1 1/2	cups sifted sugar
1	cup cake flour, sifted three times

Preheat oven to 325°F. Beat egg whites until frothy, add salt, cream of tartar and almond extract. Continue beating until they form stiff but not dry peaks. Using a rubber spatula, gradually fold in the sugar a few tablespoons at a time. Using the same rubber spatula, gradually fold in the flour, one quarter at a time. Be sure that you use a true folding motion, gently turning the spatula from the bottom of the bowl to the top, folding in air with each stroke as opposed to beating or stirring. You just went to all that work the whip up the egg whites, don't want to beat them to death.

Pour batter into an ungreased, 9-inch angel food cake pan (you know the one with the tube in the center—not a bundt pan). Bake one hour, remove from oven. Cool in the pan ten minutes and then invert pan and let cake stand upside down for an hour or until cooled. You might let the cake stand over a plate in case your oven was funky and the cake plops out of the pan prematurely. Hey, it happens.

Divine variations

Chocolate angel food cake
Replace 1/4 cup of the flour with 1/4 cup sifted cocoa powder and one teaspoon instant coffee. Substitute vanilla extract for the almond extract.

Christmas angel food cake
To the sifted flour, add one-teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice and 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg. Use vanilla or almond extracts depending upon your tastes. Just before baking, fold in one-Tablespoon grated orange rind. My dad loves this topped with cranberry sauce or apple sauce (and real whipped cream if my Mom isn't around).

Devilish Tricks
If you're in desperate need of an expertly prepared dessert but suffer from Pastry Chef Anxiety Disorder and can't bake a cake to save your life, buy an angel food cake, a tub of frozen non-dairy whipped topping and the most gorgeous berries you can get your hands on. Frost the cake with the topping and decorate with berries (like we did in the picture).

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