Angel food cake with strawberries and cream

Would you believe me if I told you that I have been fantasising about Angel Food cake since first tasting it in the 1990s? This, my friends, is a light and airy cake that makes me gaga, in a wobbly-at-the-knees kind of way. And I don't mind admitting to you that I am completely and utterly in love with it. Peter, my chief taster, concurs.

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​A couple of things to bear in mind, when making Angel Food cake. First, it's best to use a 'tube tin'. I bought mine from the supermarket, and am delighted to report that it wasn't at all expensive. You can also adapt a deep, straight-sided round tin, by placing an empty soup can in the centre. Just remember not to grease the tin, whichever tin you use.

If you prefer not to have a dozen egg yolks left over to play with, source a carton of egg whites from your local supermarket (it looks similar to a small milk carton). Look for these in the 'vegetarian' chiller cabinet. Freeze any leftovers.

My recipe is adapted slightly from a recipe on my friend Sally's Food & Travel website, with sincere thanks Sally. It is truly heavenly, and this is THE BEST recipe for Angel Food cake! 

ANGEL FOOD CAKE WITH STRAWBERRIES & CREAM
130g plain (AP) flour
195g pure icing sugar
12 egg whites, at room temperature
11/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon cooking salt
230g vanilla-infused caster sugar
1 teaspoon ground vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond essence

To serve:
150mls cream, whipped
1 cup strawberries, sliced

Preheat your oven to 185 degrees C (or 165 degrees C fan forced). Sift the plain flour and the icing sugar together in a Pyrex bowl, and mix with a balloon whisk.

In a separate large bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar and the salt, until the whites are starting to foam. Keep beating and add the caster sugar, a tablespoon at a time, then beat until the mixture is stiff. Using a spatula, fold in the vanilla and the almond essence, then the combined flour and icing sugar. Don't be tempted to over-mix, only until the dry ingredients are incorporated.

Spoon the meringue batter into a (non-greased) 25-cm angel food cake tin or tube pan, and work a metal spatula or knife through the batter to remove any air pockets. 

Place the tin onto a biscuit sheet, and pop it into the oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a skewer tests clean. Cool slightly.

Now, it's important that the cake is left to cool in the tin and the tin must be upside down to prevent the cake from collapsing.

If your tin has little 'feet', turn it upside down over a rack and allow the cake to cool completely. If your tin does not have feet, invert the tin onto the base of a glass, and (likewise) allow the cake to cool completely.

When you are ready to turn out the cake, check to see if the cake has caught in the tin. If it has, use the tip of a skewer to very, very gently prise it away from the sides or base of the tin.

Decorate the top of the cake with whipped cream, and pile the strawberries on top, before serving in slices. Store any leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator. Serves 8-10.

Preparation and cooking time: approximately one hour.

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Note:
​Those who have followed this little blog for a while may have noticed that I'm not posting here as often. This is because I've immersed myself in the memoir. It's a huge, but exciting project, and I am thoroughly enjoying the writing and design process. Please stay with me, I'll be back to regular programming in the fullness of time. ♥

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Tell me dear readers and fellow cooks, is Angel Food cake on your list of favourites? And, what's cooking at your place lately?

Thank you for taking the time to leave me a comment. I enjoy our conversations xx