Angel Food Cake

• 1 cup cake flour
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 12 egg whites
• 1 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and place the rack in the lower third of the oven.

2. 2

   Do not prep the angel food cake pan. It should be perfectly clean, grease-free, and dry.

3. 3

   Separate your eggs carefully. I suggest doing each egg over a separate bowl before adding each egg white to the bowl of egg whites. Because if you get any yolk in your egg whites whatsoever, it's game over! (Or you have to start separating all over again.)

4. 4

   Process your white sugar for about 30-45 seconds using a food processor until you get superfine sugar.

5. 5

   Pour half of the sugar out into a small bowl and reserve it.

6. 6

   Add cake flour to the food processor with the remaining half of the sugar and process for another 30-45 seconds.

7. 7

   Take this mixture of sugar and flour and sift it into a bowl.

8. 8

   Beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt with a whisk attachment of your stand mixer on medium-high speed until frothy.

9. 9

   Add the vanilla while temporarily lowering the speed.

10. 10

    Once frothy, gradually add the reserved sugar made in step 5 to the egg whites with the mixer running. It is crucial to add the sugar slowly so the meringue forms properly. Beat until you reach stiff peaks.

11. 11

    Remove the bowl from the mixer and add your dry mixture (the processed and sifted sugar and flour) about 3 tablespoons (45ml) at a time. It is unnecessary, but when I add this dry mixture, I sift it into the egg whites again.

12. 12

    Gently fold with a flexible rubber spatula each time the flour is added. Keep adding the flour mixture and very gently fold it into the meringue.

13. 13

    Transfer the batter to your cake pan. I like poking the cake several times with a long skewer to pop any possible large air bubbles.

14. 14

    Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes. Do not open the oven during the entire 35 minutes.

15. 15

    At 35 minutes, the cake should be golden, and the toothpick test should pass (when inserted into the center, the toothpick should come out clean). If by any chance it is not yet ready, put it back into the oven, checking every 2 minutes. But generally, 35 minutes should be enough.

16. 16

    Remove the cake from the oven and turn it upside down. Your pan should have little feet, but if not, prop it over some metal cans or wire racks.

17. 17

    Let the cake cool completely, about 1.5 hours.

18. 18

    Once cool, run a thin butter knife along the edges of the pan (both inner and outer) and remove the cake by lifting the middle part of the pan out. Run the knife along the bottom of the pan also and invert the cake onto your prepared stand. Serve as desired and enjoy!