How to make the angel food cake of your dreams

I first encountered angel food dream cake in an old Swans Down cake flour recipe booklet. At its core, it is nothing more than a traditional angel food cake with the “dreamy” addition of a whipped cream frosting that elevates it into something celebration-worthy.

You might think of angel food cake, elevated or not, as complicated to make, since it requires a meringue for leavening, but it’s pantry-friendly and actually quite simple, once you know how to avoid the pitfalls. Here’s how to make sure this classic cake turns out perfectly.

Keep eggs at the right temperature. Since angel food cake uses no chemical leaveners, such as baking powder or soda, the meringue it’s based on must be ultra-stable. Separate your eggs when they are still cold, when the yolks are less likely to break and contaminate your whites. (Even the tiniest bit of fat from the yolks will keep whites from whipping up properly.) But then let them come to room temperature, when they will whip more quickly and more voluminously than when they’re cold.

Use cream of tartar. Adding ⅛ teaspoon per egg white will further stabilize the meringue, protecting it from turning grainy or collapsing if overbeaten.

Control your speed. A slowly whipped foam is sturdier than one whipped more quickly. Start at medium speed to break up the whites into froth, then increase to medium-high. It is tempting to turn the speed higher as you beat the whites to soft and then stiff peaks, but try to resist. Similarly, adding sugar slowly also creates a stronger meringue.

Sift the cake flour twice. The first time is to get rid of any clumps, and the second is to ensure it is well-aerated, does not weigh the batter down and can easily be folded into glossy, thick and voluminous egg whites.

Cool the cake upside-down after baking. Ideally, you want a tube pan with a removable bottom and with three metal feet. When the cake comes out of the oven, flip it upside down (either onto the pan’s feet or over a long-necked bottle if you have a footless pan) to cool completely. This is a little scary, but I promise the cake won’t fall out, and this helps guarantee that it won’t collapse as it cools.

These methods all add up to a quintessentially tall, light, melt-in-your-mouth angel food cake that’s a dream to eat – and make – whether you frost it or not.

Angel Food Cake With Jam Whipped Cream

Active time: 45 mins; Total time: 1 hour 15 mins

INGREDIENTS

For the cake:

1 cup (130 grams) cake flour

1⅓ cups (267 grams) granulated sugar, divided

½ teaspoon fine salt

12 large egg whites (about 400 grams)

1½ teaspoons cream of tartar

2½ teaspoons vanilla extract

For the jam whipped cream:

2 cups heavy cream

About 1¼ cups (360 grams) cold jam (any kind that’s seedless)

4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

Make the cake: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Have an ungreased 10- to 12-cup tube pan with a removable bottom nearby.

Into a medium bowl, sift together the flour, ⅔ cup (133 grams) of sugar and salt, then whisk briefly to incorporate.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, or in a large bowl if using a hand mixer, beat the egg whites on medium speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Add the cream of tartar and beat on medium-high until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. Slowly add the remaining ⅔ cup of sugar in a steady stream and beat until stiff and glossy peaks form, about 7 minutes. Add the vanilla and continue beating to incorporate. (If using a hand mixer, it might take a little longer to achieve these results, so rely on visual cues over the time range.)

Sift one-quarter of the flour mixture over the beaten egg whites and gently fold with a flexible spatula to incorporate. Repeat the sifting and folding three more times.

Transfer the batter to the tube pan. Run a small offset spatula or butter knife through the batter to break up any air bubbles and smooth out the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, rotating the pan from front to back halfway through, or until the top of the cake is lightly browned and a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out with one or two moist crumbs. If your tube pan has feet, invert the pan onto a countertop. If it does not have feet, steady the pan upside-down on the neck of a wine bottle, or another bottle with a long neck, to cool completely.

Once the cake has cooled, use an offset spatula or butter knife to release it from the sides and middle of the pan, then transfer the cake to a large serving plate.

Make the jam whipped cream: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, or in a large bowl if using a hand mixer, combine the cream, jam, lemon juice and vanilla and beat on medium speed until combined, about 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium-high and continue beating until stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes.

Assemble the cake: Use a large serrated knife to gently slice the cake in half through the equator – the surface of the cake will be a little crumbly, but don’t worry. Generously spread about one-third of the whipped cream on the cut side of the bottom half of the cake, add the top half and generously spread the remaining whipped cream all over the sides and top of the cake. Before serving, refrigerate the cake until set, about 1 hour.

When ready to serve, use a serrated knife to cut the cake into individual slices.

Yields: 12 servings (makes one 10- to 12-inch cake)

Make ahead: The unfrosted cake can be made up to 1 day in advance and stored at room temperature, lightly covered in plastic wrap or in an airtight container that’s slightly ajar.

Storage: Refrigerate the frosted cake, lightly covered in plastic wrap or in an airtight container, for up to 3 days.

Nutrition per serving (1 slice): 369 calories, 56g carbohydrates, 55mg cholesterol, 15g fat, 0g fiber, 5g protein, 9g saturated fat, 169mg sodium, 38g sugar

From cookbook author Jessie Sheehan.