Because it was on my 101 list, and because it’s one of my absolute favorite childhood cakes, I set out the other weekend to make my Grandma O’s angel food cake. Her cakes were literally the stuff of legend – impossibly tall, creamy-delicious and infused with a flavor you couldn’t quite pinpoint other than to say, “Delicious.”
My first experience with baking the cake wasn’t quite as successful. I guess that’s what happens sometimes when you’re learning something new.
Anyway, here’s her recipe (I’m sharing it especially with you!) and my lessons learned:
- 1 1/3 c. cake flour
- 2 c. egg whites (about 16 eggs or one 16 oz pkg of liquid egg whites)
- 1/2 t. salt
- 2 t. vanilla
- 1 c. plus 2 T. plus 2 t. sugar
- 2 t. cream of tartar
- 1 c. sugar
Sift flour and first amount of sugar together to blend. Pour egg whites, cream of tartar, salt and vanilla in mixing bowl. Beat with a whire whisk or electric mixer until foamy. Gradually add second amount of sugar, 2 T. at a time, and beat until meringue will hold stiff peaks.
Sprinkle flour-sugar mixture over top and fold in gently. With spatula, push batter into 10×4″ ungreased tube pan. Gently cut through batter.
- The egg whites need to be at room temperature. Otherwise, you’ll whip those egg whites forever (and a day).
- You have to whip the egg whites forever as it is – sometimes as long as 30 minutes. When you think you’re too tired to whip them, you need to whip them a little more.
- The pan must be ungreased, in order for the cake to have something to grab onto and rise. (I didn’t make this mistake, but it’s just a word of warning!)
- Use a tube pan that’s designed for sponge cakes. They come in two pieces, which facilitates cake removal (again, I didn’t make this mistake so take this as an FYI).
- Put the cake in the oven within 5 minutes of putting it in the pan. Or it may fall.
- Don’t open the oven until the cake is done. Or it may fall. (I made this mistake.)
- You must let the cake fully cool before unmolding it. Or it may fall. (I also made this mistake.)
- The purpose of letting the cake cool on a funnel is to allow steam and hot air to escape. Or the cake may fall. (You can also achieve this same purpose by putting it on a wire rack or in a colander)
Point 8
"The purpose of letting the cake cool on a funnel is to allow steam and hot air to escape. Or the cake may fall. (You can also achieve this same purpose by putting it on a wire rack or in a colander)"
makes me wonder. Did you cool the pan with the open pan face up or down?
I used to make Angel Food Cakes with my grandmother — long, long time ago — and we beat the egg whites with a fork. A good friend here (2nd best missionary cook I know), who was a Home Ec major in college was incredulous that I had ever done that as she had never made one from scratch, only from a mix. Cool upside down — invert over glass Coke bottle (top of bottle inserted in the top of the funnel).
Question: What did you do with 16 egg yolks? Or did you buy the all egg whites? I always thought the success of your grandmother O's cake was the hand beating of the eggwhites. My grandmother E. never had an electric mixer and her cakes were airy, light, delicious too. She used a table fork to beat the eggwhites.
@Justoldbits – I cooled it upside down (open pan face down)
@Bob – they used to make a fork-like handwhip that you could use instead of a fork. Either way, I believe that whipping by hand results in a lighter cake than using the mixer. But I'm easily tired.
@Nita – I bought a container of egg whites rather than dividing the eggs. My understanding is that grandma didn't believe in using a mixer. Her whisk/whip isn't a style made anymore. Tami had Tom find one for her at an antique tradeshow. She said it performs well, but still requires a lot of effort!
Of course, to think that she whipped by hand, when she only had one arm, is amazing in itself!
Too bad you can't "watch like a hawk" like you did when you learned to make pie crust ….
@boacnstr – YES.
Interesting, angel food cake was what I "ordered" as a kid for my birthday cake. Mom made it–I think from a box, but I don't really know. I just remember her putting the cake to cool with the pan inverted over a the neck of a bottle (probably not a coke bottle since we rarely had soda in the house.)
I have never made an angel food cake from scratch; I may have made one or two over the years from a box mix, so I really have no experience with them.
Since Hubby prefers cakes to pies, WHEN I bake it is almost always a fruit pie or oatmeal raisin cookies. (He DOES like the oatmeal cherry chocolate cookies made with the recipe you recently posted.)
I don't often bake a dessert that he doesn't like because then I end up eating it all. Not good for the diet.
I'm sure any angel food cake I made when the children were young was from a box mix. I used to have a cake recipe that uses egg yolks left from an angel food cake but it's been years since I made it. Strawberry season now…ought to be good with angel food cake.
@Sheryl – I've always heard that Angel Food Cake is a fairly good choice for dessert. Though, I suppose "good" relates to the fat content and not the sugar (now that I've made it!). However, since we don't eat a lot of sweets (because I have banned The Boy from grocery shopping with me!), we feel free to indulge.
@Nita – strawberries or fresh blueberries would be wonderful! I'd have to do without the whipped cream, though. Sweetness overload…
One more thought….the bottle I used to cool the cake on, Sheryl, was a vinegar bottle.
did you not get one of the hand whisk spoons Shannah? I got one. I thought all us girls ended up with one. I could NEVER use a mixer when it comes to cakes, brownies, or cookies. I have been ruined with GREAT tasting food made by hand. I unfortunately have to use a mixer to do bread now because my bursitis gets too bad.
@Ed – nope, I never got one. Since your bursitis is bad, perhaps you might consider gifting your older sister your whisk for Christmas? 🙂
uh, NO! I can make cakes!! lol I can't make BREAD. Yeah, had to re-read my comment to make sure I had said that. LOL! And actually it is the kneading process so I am waiting for Adella to get just a LITTLE bigger …..
A girl's gotta try, right?
[…] the photos here) 85. Make Grandma Osborne’s angel food cake (Done! Read my lessons learned here) 86. Make one new recipe out of every cookbook I own (WOW!!! I did […]