Ingredients
- 1¾ cups Granulated Sugar
- 1 cup Cake Flour
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1½ cups Egg Whites
- 1½ tsp Cream of Tartar
- 1½ tsp Vanilla Extract
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350° and position an oven rack in the bottom third of your oven
- Have a 9 or 10 inch ungreased tube pan (16-cup capacity) ready
- Place the sugar in a food processor and blend until the sugar is very finely ground, about 1 minute. (This creates superfine sugar, perfect for dissolving into egg whites!)
- Remove 1 cup of the fine sugar, leaving the rest in the food processor
- Add the cake flour and salt to the food processor. Pulse 10 times
- Set a fine mesh sieve over a medium bowl and sift the reserved 1 cup of fine sugar into the bowl. Discard any large grains caught by the sieve
- Place the same sieve over a separate large bowl and add the sugar and flour mixture
- Sift the sugar and flour together into the large bowl and set aside
- In a clean, large mixing bowl, combine the egg whites and cream of tartar. Use an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat the egg whites on low speed until they turn frothy on top (about 1 minute)
- Once the egg whites become frothy, increase the speed to medium and sprinkle the reserved 1 cup of fine sugar 1 tablespoon at a time into the egg whites. Once the sugar is incorporated, beat the egg whites until soft, glossy peaks form. This will take about 5 minutes overall. Add the vanilla and beat on low speed just until incorporated
- Sift a third of the flour and sugar mixture over the egg whites and gently fold in the dry ingredients with a spatula. Repeat two more times
- Transfer the batter to a clean, ungreased tube pan. Smooth the top and clean off the sides of the pan. Gently tap the pan on the counter a few times or run a knife or skewer through the batter to help break up any large air bubbles that may have gotten trapped
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the cake is golden brown and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean
- Invert the Pan onto the counter and allow the cake to cool upside-down in the pan for at least 1 hour. Most angel food cake pans have feet at the top so the cake can cool upside down but if yours doesn’t just invert onto a wire rack
- Once the cake is completely cooled, run a thin knife along the outer edge between the cake and the pan, and around the center tube, then pull the center-piece out to remove the cake. Run the knife along the bottom of the pan and invert onto a cake stand. Place the cake on a serving plate and dust with powdered sugar, if desired. Serve alone or with whipped cream and berries
