Angel Food Cake

What's under there?

I don't know why, but I've always wanted a cake carrier. I've seen many different kinds. Some peppered with be-ribboned bouquets, some with flowers growing round the base, some with funfetti thrown across a garish background, some with stripes, some with plaid. Yes, plaid. And while the last two came the closest to being purchased, they just weren't good enough. I think I recognized that if I was actually going to plunk down the cash for such a frivolous purchase it had to be the one. And then a few months ago at The Whistle Stop Antique Shoppe in Sunol, I saw the beauty above. Cut glass bottom with a clean, white enamel lid, chrome handle and sturdy sliding locks on the sides. It was love at first sight, but still I hemmed and hawed about whether or not to buy it. I tested its locks, turned it over and around, put it back in its place, and circled the shop trying to forget about it. After the third pass, I was still in love. We both knew what was happening here, so I brought it up to "Bob", the grizzled old lady who ran the shop and never looked back.

Yet it has listed in the cabinet with nary a cake to carry, until now. Thank you C. for turning 34 and giving me an excuse to bake you a cake and carry it to your house! Turns out the cake carrier has more than just quality and good looks going for it--it also hides what's within heightening the suspense.

So, what was within? YOU already know...

Angel Food Cake!

Thank you again, C., for sharing my love of Angel Food Cake. I love eating it. I love making it. I love how much others love it. To me Angel Food Cake is a perfect dessert. It's sweet, airy, and amazing on its own or paired with fruit, custard, lemon curd, whipped cream, or sour cream. I don't know if this an appropriate adjective to describe a cake, but it strikes me as very clean. I guess because of its lack of fat.

The recipe below is uber basic, but I have a few tips.

• Room temperature eggs will give the best volume, which helps keep the cake light and airy even while you gently incorporate the dry ingredients
• Make sure your pan and bowl are clean and dry. Any trace of oil or fat will cause your cake to deflate.
• You're going to need a big mixing bowl, because those egg whites will triple in size. I promise you! Compare below:
  12 egg whites

12 egg whites beaten into submission

• Gently fold in the dry ingredients. A little deflation when you fold in the dry ingredients is normal, but take care you don't overmix or you will end up with a tough cake. And no one wants that.
  
  
  
• Clean any batter off the sides of the pan before baking or else your house will smell like burnt sugar.
  
• It is important that the cake is allowed to cool upside down so that it doesn't decompress. If you don't have a fancy, cool pan like this (I didn't know what those annoying legs were for for the longest time), then balance it on the neck of a wine bottle.
  

I served C.'s cake with lemon curd folded into whipped cream and topped it with mascerated strawberries. YUM!

Classic Angel Food Cake Recipe

1 C cake flour
1 1/2 C white sugar
12 egg whites
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsps cream of tartar
1/2 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Be sure that your 10 inch tube pan is clean and dry. Sift together flour and 3/4 C sugar, set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whip egg whites with vanilla, cream of tartar, and salt to medium stiff peaks. Gradually add the remaining sugar while continuing to whip to stiff peaks. When at maximum volume, fold in the sifted ingredients, one third at a time. Do not overmix. Put the batter into the tube pan.
3. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the cake springs bake when touched. Check on it frequently as it can burn quickly. Balance the pan upside down on top of a bottle to prevent decompression while cooling. When cool, run a knife around the edge of the pan and invert onto a plate.