Michelle Darmody: angel food cake, sent directly from above

Room temperature ingredients are key

There are a few tricks to making angel food cake well. 

Angel food cake gets its name from its cloud-like lightness and fluffy texture. It takes a bit of care to make it but the results are sublime — a pristine white inside with a chewy light brown crumb on the exterior. 

There are a few tricks to making an Angel food cake well, making sure to add the sugar slowly is an important one. Another is to have your eggs at room temperature: this is always best for baking but in this case, it is almost a necessity. When separating the egg whites make sure that no yolk gets into them, I tend to separate each egg one at a time into a bowl before adding to the rest just so I do not contaminate the whole lot if I do crack a yolk.

An Angel food cake has its own special baking tin which looks like a tube or Bundt tin but generally has a loose base and little stands that allow you to cool the cake. The tins are generally about 10-inches in size. If you do not have one of these, as many people won’t, you can use either a Bundt or tube tin. A non-stick one is preferable as it is best not to grease the tin as it affects the lightness of the cake. The cake generally needs the support of the side of the tin, both in the centre and outsides to hold it up as the mixture has so much air added to it.

Using a standard round tin will more than likely lead to it collapsing in the centre.

Angel food cake

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

This light, airy cake is a delicate delight for afternoon tea and can be easily dressed up with fresh berries

Servings

10

Preparation Time

 20 mins

Cooking Time

 40 mins

Total Time

 60 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• 125g plain flour, sieved

• 300g caster sugar, sieved

• 1 tsp cream of tartar, sieved

• ½ tsp salt

• 10 egg whites, at room temperature

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C.

2. Sieve half of the sugar with the flour, this will be your second sifting. Set it aside.

3. Add the cream of tartar and salt to your egg whites and whip in a clean bowl until soft peaks form.

4. Slowly add in the second half of the sugar two tablespoons at a time until stiff peaks form.

5. Fold in the flour mixture about four tablespoons at a time.

6. Gently scoop the mixture into your tin. Drag a knife through the batter to remove very large bubbles. Place the cake on a rack on the bottom shelf of your oven.

7. Bake for about 35 to 40 minutes until golden and the sponge springs back when you touch it. If your finger leaves an indent it will need a little more cooking time.

8. If you have an Angel Food Cake tin turn it upside down to cool on the little legs.

9. If you are using a tube or Bundt tin turn it upside down over a glass bottle and let it rest. When cool, run a knife around the side and centre of the pan and turn the cake onto a serving plate.