Homemade Angel Food Cake!

Mmmmmm! If you haven't made Angel Food Cake from scratch you are missing something wonderful! If you have only had it from a box mix or even from the supermarket bakery,you will be pleasantly surprised that it tastes heavenly to say the least. So if you want to have something to put the stabilized whipped cream on you have to try this.

TIP: Freeze the 12 yolks in snack size baggies and you can use them in other recipes. If you have small or medium eggs and the recipe specifically says large eggs you can add an egg yolk for the extra volume.

What you need: 1 (10-inch) Angel food cake pan
Ingredients
12 egg whites at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup sifted cake flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Fruit or frosting, optional

Directions

* In large bowl, using a mixer, beat egg whites with cream of tartar at high speed until foamy. This could take 5 minutes or more depending on the temperature in your kitchen
*Add 3/4 cup of the sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating constantly until sugar is dissolved* and whites are glossy and stand in soft peaks. .*Rub just a bit of meringue between thumb and forefinger to feel if sugar has dissolved.
* Beat in flavorings
* Sift together flour, remaining sugar and salt. Sift about 1/2 cup of the flour mixture over whites and gently fold just until flour disappears. Repeat, folding in remaining flour mixture 1/2 cup at a time.
* Pour into un-greased 10 x 3 3/4-inch Angel Food pan.
* Gently cut through batter with metal spatula.

Bake in preheated 375 F oven until top springs back when lightly touched with finger, about 30 to 40 minutes. Invert cake in pan on funnel or bottle neck. Cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours. With narrow spatula or knife, loosen cake from pan and gently shake onto serving plate.
Top with fruit or frost, if desired.



Chocolate Angel Food Cake:
Omit almond extract and increase vanilla to 2 teaspoons. Reduce flour to 2/3 cup and sift in 1/3 cup good quality Cocoa Powder. Prepare batter and bake as above.