Rose's Heavenly Cakes
By Rose Levy Beranbaum
Hardcover, 512 pages
Wiley
List Price: $39.95
Serves 14 to 16.
1-1/2 cups, divided superfine sugar
3/4 cup cake flour, lightly spooned and leveled off (or 1 cup, sifted into the cup and leveled off)
1/4 teaspoon salt
16 large egg whites, at room temperature, or 2 cups
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
fine-quality unsweetened or 99% cacao chocolate, chilled, finely grated, refrigerated
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: One ungreased 10-inch (16 cups) two-piece metal tube pan or 1 long-necked glass wine or soda bottle, or a large inverted metal funnel that will fit into the opening at the top of the pan. (Have this ready before baking and weight it by filling it with sugar or marbles to keep it from tipping.)
PREHEAT THE OVEN: Twenty minutes or more before baking, set an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C.
PREPARE THE SUGAR, FLOUR, AND SALT: In a small bowl, whisk together half the sugar, the flour, and salt until evenly combined. Sift the remaining sugar onto a piece of wax paper.
BEAT THE EGG WHITES INTO A STIFF MERINGUE: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk beater, beat the egg whites on medium speed until foamy. With the mixer off, add the cream of tartar. Raise the speed to medium-high and beat until soft peaks form when the beater is raised. Gradually beat in the sifted sugar and continue beating on medium-high speed until very stiff peaks form when the beater is raised slowly. Beat in the vanilla until combined.
MAKE THE BATTER: Dust (lightly sprinkle) the flour mixture over the beaten whites, 1/4 cup at a time (if using cake flour, sift it over the whites). With a large balloon whisk, slotted skimmer, or large silicone spatula, fold in the flour mixture quickly but gently. It is not necessary to incorporate every speck until the last addition. Fold in the grated chocolate until evenly incorporated. Using a long narrow spatula or silicone spatula, spread a thin layer of batter onto the sides of the prepared pan to ensure smooth sides. Empty the rest of the batter into the pan. In a 16-cup pan, it will be 1/2-inch from the top of the rim. Run a small metal spatula or knife through the batter to prevent air pockets and smooth the surface evenly.
BAKE THE CAKE: Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown, a wire cake tester inserted between the tube and the side comes out clean, and the cake springs back when lightly pressed in the center. (A wooden toothpick will still have a few moist crumbs clinging to it.) During baking, the center will rise about 2 inches above the pan, but it will sink to almost level with the pan when done. The surface will have deep cracks, like a souffle.
COOL AND UNMOLD THE CAKE: Invert the pan immediately, placing the tube opening over the neck of the bottle to suspend it well above the countertop. Cool completely in the pan, about 1-1/2 hours.
Loosen the sides of the pan with a long narrow spatula and remove the center core of the pan. Dislodge the cake from the bottom and center core with a metal spatula or thin sharp knife. (A wire cake tester or wooden skewer works well around the core. To keep the sides attractive, press the spatula firmly against the sides of the pan, moving the spatula up and down as you go around it.) Invert the cake onto a flat plate covered with plastic wrap that has been coated lightly with nonstick cooking spray and reinvert it onto a serving plate. Allow the cake to sit for 1 hour, or until the top is no longer tacky. Then cover it with a cake dome or wrap it airtight. It keeps for 3 days at room temperature and for 10 days refrigerated. Freezing toughens the texture. The cake is also lovely decorated simply with a light sprinkling of cocoa or lacy drizzles of melted chocolate. Do not serve this cake with sauce as it would fall apart.
From Rose's Heavenly Cakes by Rose Levy Beranbaum. Copyright 2009 by Rose Levy Beranbaum. Published by Wiley. Used by permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.
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FAQs
Egg Whites: The star of the show! They provide all of the leavening for angel food cake. Using only whites (no yolks) gives this cake a super light texture. Be sure to use only fresh eggs; liquid egg whites in a carton have been pasteurized, which can prevent them from whipping into stiff peaks.
What makes angel food cake different from regular cake? ›
Angel food cake, or angel cake, is a type of sponge cake made with egg whites, flour, and sugar. A whipping agent, such as cream of tartar, is commonly added. It differs from other cakes because it uses no butter. Its aerated texture comes from whipped egg white.
What does cream of tartar do in angel food cake? ›
Use cream of tartar – cream of tartar is an acid and stabilizes the egg whites. Without cream of tartar, your cake will collapse. Other acidic ingredients aren't quite as strong, so I wouldn't recommend substituting cream of tartar with anything. Sift some of the sugar and flour several times – four to be exact.
What happens if you overmix an angel food cake? ›
Overmixing is exactly what it sounds like: the process by which a dough or batter gets mixed too much, typically yielding dense, tough, or deflated baked goods. Overmixed doughs and batters may have an unappealing look or feel, which remain just as unappealing when they're baked.
Why do diabetics eat angel food cake? ›
As stated previously, Angel Food Cakes are great for people with diabetes because they are low in sugar compared to most other cakes, and especially low in simple sugars and carbohydrates.
What happens if you don t turn angel food cake upside down? ›
Every angel food cake has to be cooled upside down in the pan. Why? Until the cake is completely cooled, its spongy structure hasn't set. Flipping it upside down makes sure it doesn't collapse during that process.
Is angel food cake healthier than cake? ›
Angel Cake: Given its fat-free nature, angel cake tends to have fewer calories than many other traditional cakes. The primary source of its calories is sugar and the egg whites. It's a popular choice among those who are mindful of their fat intake or are seeking a slightly "lighter" dessert option.
Is angel food cake better for diabetics than regular cake? ›
Why Angel Food Cake benefits Diabetics. The primary factor that angel food cake is appropriate as a dessert for diabetics is not a lot the low sugar count, although that in and of itself is very important as it is the low quantity of carbs that exist in the cake.
Can you use a bundt pan for angel food cake? ›
But whatever you do, don't try baking angel food cake in a bundt pan. A bundt pan's design is usually too intricate for angel food cakes, which must be cut away from the simple tube pans they're baked in once the cake has cooled.
Why use ungreased pan for angel food cake? ›
Angel food cake recipes don't typically contain leaveners; the air whipped into the egg white-based batter is what makes them so lofty. Because of this, you will need a straight-sided pan that's uncoated (and ungreased) so that the batter can cling to the sides of the pan as it expands, helping it rise up tall.
Whipping egg whites introduces air and causes them to form a stable foam, adding lightness and volume to recipes like meringues, soufflés, and angel food cakes.
Why can't you use a plastic bowl for angel food cake? ›
Use only metal or glass mixing bowls when making Angel Food Cake. Plastic or ceramic bowls retain oils which will disturb the rising process. When beating egg whites try not to under beat or over beat; egg whites should be stiff but not dry.
Why does my angel food cake taste sour? ›
It's possible that the cake went bad and that's why it tasted sour. When perishable food items like cake are left at room temperature for too long, they can become contaminated with harmful bacteria that can cause food poisoning. These bacteria can produce acid, which can cause the sour taste that you experienced.
Can you use egg whites in a carton for angel food cake? ›
Because they have been pasteurized, liquid egg whites (from a carton) won't work in Angel Food Cake or other desserts like Meringue. The pasteurization process weakens the proteins in egg whites so they won't get stiff like they are supposed to.
How to improve angel food cake mix? ›
Give your boxed angel food cake mix a summery twist by adding a can of crushed pineapple to it. Gently fold it into the whisked batter, careful not to deflate the mixture. If you over-whisk it, the cake will turn out chewy and dense.
Why don't you grease the pan for angel food cake? ›
Do not grease the angel food cake tube pan (one in which the center tube is higher than the walls of pan and the bottom is removable.) You want the batter to cling to the side while it is rising. A greased pan will not allow the batter to rise.
How to fancy up angel food cake? ›
Toppings to serve with Angel Food Cake
- Fresh berries, like raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries.
- Fruit sauces – blueberry Syrup, cherry, raspberry, blackberry, or strawberry sauce.
- Pineapple topping.
- Homemade whipped cream or Cool Whip.
- Lemon Curd.
- Candied Nuts.
- Powdered sugar.
- Crushed Biscoff cookies.
