Angel Food Cake

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I made my first ever Angel's Food Cake from scratch yesterday. I used the "Joy of Cooking" recipe and followed it to the letter. I baked it according to directions in a tube pan with a removable bottom. The cake came out very tasty, but was definetly a sponge cake in texture. There is another recipe in the book, under the topic Angel Cakes, for sponge cake. But that's not the texture I was looking for. It was good with the strawberry sauce that was served over it though.

I did whip 1-1/2 cups egg-whites mixed with 1 tbs lemon juice and 1 tbs water until frothy, added a tsp. of cream of tartar and whipped until the shites were firm but not dry. I gently folded in quarter cup amounts, very fine sugar sifted together with 1 tsp. salt, and 1 cup cake flower. The dry ingredients were sifted 3 times according to recipe directions before adding to the beaten egg. Baked at 350 for 45 min.

Anyone have any ideas what I may have done wrong with this cake?

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[abjcooking]

Goodweed, I have always used a recipe that my mom got quite a few years ago and the cake has come out perfect each time. It is unlike any angelfood cake I've had before. It is so light and moist. If you want the recipe let me know, I don't have it with me right now.

 

[PA Baker]

I'm not sure, goodweed. I had this happen to me once and the only thing I could figure out that I did differently was that when folding in the flour, etc, I broke down the beaten egg whites a bit too much. It may also have needed to cook a bit longer.

I use a recipe very similar to yours but mine calls for 1 1/8 c sifted cake flour when not using any additional liquids and 1 1/4 c sifted cake flour when using extra liquids like lemon juice. Maybe you can try upping your flour a bit, too.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

ABJCooking and PABaker; Thanks for the input. I agree that the folding may have been too heavy. I did try to be careful though. I don't have much experience in this area and may have been heavy handed. The batter certainly wasn't as light as the eggs were before folding in the flour.

And ABJ; Send along the recipe. I'll give it a try. Then, when I see how your recipe comes out (hopefully perfect for me too), I can compare and maybe see what's going on with the recipe. Then I can change and modify it, make it my own, 'cause that's what I do.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[abjcooking]

-Not a problem, I'll send it tomorrow for you.

 

[abjcooking]

Here is the recipe. My mom got it from Betty Crocker and we have been using it for years.

Angel Food Cake Deluxe

1 cup Softasilk cake flour
1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
12 eggs whites (1 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 t. cream of tartar
1/4 t. salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 t. vanilla
1/2 t. almond extract

Heat oven to 375

Stir together flour and first amount of sugar; set aside

In large mixer bowl, beat egg whites, cream of tartar and salt until foamy

Add second amount of sugar, 2 T. at a time, beating on high speed until meringue holds stiff peaks

Gently fold in flavorings

Sprinkle flour-sugar mixture, 1/4 cup at a time over meringue, folding in gently just until flour-sugar mixture disappears.

Push batter into ungreased tube pan, 1/x4 inches.(I think my mom miss typed this, I usually just put it all in)

Gently cut through batter. Just run a knife around the top.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until top springs back when touched lightly with finger.

Invert tube pan on funnel; let hang upside down until cake is completely cool. (We usually invert ours on a wine bottle right when it comes out of the oven. This is so the cake doesn't drop when cooling.)

Serving suggestions: I usually like to cut up strawberries and spinkle with sugar. Cover and put into refrigerator for a while so the strawberries make their own juice. Then I put those on the cake slices with some whipped cream.

 

[Piccolina]

This is very similar from my stand-by angel food cake recipe. I always add almond extract too, it makes such a lovely difference.

What is everyone's favourite way to dress -up an angel food cake?