Classic Angel Food Cake

The food of angels.  I’ve always thought this cake had a fitting name.  White as wool, light an airy as a cloud, and a deliciously delicate flavor –  it’s easy to see why this 19th century American creation has remained a favorite through the generations.

Originally called “Snow-drift Cake” in an 1871 cookbook called Mrs. Porter’s New Southern Cookery Book and Companion for Frugal and Economical (now that’s a mouthful!), a similar recipe called “Silver Cake” appeared ten years later in a cookbook with an equally long but slightly more down-to-earth title, What Mrs. Fisher Knows About Old Southern Cooking, Soups, Pickles, Preserves, Etc.  Its author, Abby Fisher, was a former slave from Mobile, Alabama who moved to San Francisco with her husband after the Civil War, and her book is considered to be the first cookbook published by an African American.  Three years later in 1884, The Original Boston Cooking School Cook Book had a similar recipe, this time called “Angel Cake.”  The 1896 updated version of this cookbook by Fannie Farmer titled it “Angel Food Cake” and that name has stuck ever since.

Angel Food Cake has remained pretty much the same over the generations though more recently some chefs have including such spice additions as cloves and mace.  Traditionally it’s eaten plain, with a sweet fruit sauce drizzled over it, or with a very simple glaze.  Angel food cake is also a popular choice for strawberry shortcake and torn into pieces for trifle.

I’ve spoken to so many people who love angel food cake but say they’ve always felt too intimated to try and make it. But the reality is it is so, so simple to make and the end result is absolutely spectacular!  If you like angel food cake but have never made it before, roll up your sleeves because your time has come!

But first…we have a GIVEAWAY!  While we’re on the subject of food fit for angels, let me introduce you to a sweet treat I’m sure the angels would also approve.  I received these delightful treats for review and believe me, they are delightful.

Raise your hand if you love cookies (me!).  Raise your hand if you like chips (me!).  Now combine the two and you have…Cookie Chips!  “Tastes like a cookie, eats like a chip.”  Is that ingenious or what?

HannahMax sent me a sample of each of their 6 different flavors of Cookie Chips to try.  They are SO good!  The texture:  Perfectly crunchy.  The flavor:  Oh my goodness.  Here’s the best way I can describe it:  You know that super yummy caramel-like flavor the very edges of home-baked chocolate chip cookies get?  Yes, you know the flavor.  Well that’s how these Cookie Chips taste – only all over!  So good!  My family and I all love them and thoroughly enjoyed each of the flavors.

Here’s another reason we like them and why I’m excited to host this giveaway:  HannahMax only uses whole ingredients such as milled cane sugar, creamery butter, whole eggs and real vanilla.  Absolutely no GMO’s, trans fats, artificial flavors, colors or preservatives.  For example, there are only 8 ingredients in their Original Cookie Chips:  Enriched unbleached flour, cane brown sugar, cane sugar, butter, cage free eggs, vanilla, baking soda and salt.  That’s it.  A snack you can feel good about eating.  Thank you, HannahMax!

My family and I enjoyed these cookie chips from HannahMax so much that I wanted to share them with as many of you as possible.  So I asked them if they would be willing to give THREE winners a WHOLE SET of each flavor and they generously agreed!

**This Giveaway Is Now Closed***

So here we go for the GIVEAWAY:  THREE randomly chosen winners will each receive a multipack of ALL SIX flavors of Cookie Chips!  Here’s all you have to do to enter:  Leave a comment below answering the following question – If you had all 6 flavors in front of you, which flavor would you try first?  (Options:  Chocolate Chip, Sea Salted Peanut Butter, Oatmeal Raisin, Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chip, Cinnamon Sugar, or Original).  Winners will be notified via email.  If winners don’t respond within 48 hours, other winners will be chosen.  This giveaway ends at midnight on February 1st.

Be sure to check out the HannahMax website for some great recipe ideas!

 

Okay, now let’s get back to our Classic Angel Food Cake!

Perfectly light and airy, delicately flavorful and aromatic, using just 3 main ingredients and prepared in just minutes, this will soon be yours!

Let’s get started!

Place the flour and 3/4 cup of sugar in a food processor and blend for a minute until very fine.  Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the egg whites, cream of tartar, salt, vanilla and almond extracts.

Using a beater, beat on high until soft peaks form then add the reserved half of the sugar gradually, a couple of tablespoons at a time, while continuing to beat the egg whites.

Beat until medium-stiff peaks form.  The mixture will be luxuriously glossy.

Gradually and very gently fold the flour-sugar mixture into the egg whites using a rubber spatula.

Spoon the batter into cake pan.  Do not grease the pan.

Use the rubber spatula to gently smooth and even out the batter.

In an oven preheated to 325 degrees F, place the cake pan on the middle oven rack and bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean and the top is golden brown.  Immediately invert the pan over a wire rack and let the cake cool completely in the pan before removing it, two hours.

Gently run a knife along the sides of the pan to loosen the cake and remove it from the pan.

Your masterpiece is ready to eat!

Use a serrated knife to cut the cake.  Eat it plain, serve it with a fruit sauce, drizzle it with a simple glaze, or serve it as strawberry shortcake.

Recipe adapted from Taste of Home

Disclosure:  I received some Cookie Chips from HannahMax to try without any obligation to write a positive review.  As always, all opinions are entirely my own.