Light Airy Sweet Cake (Printable version)

A light, airy sweet cake featuring whipped egg whites paired with fresh fruit or cream.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 1 cup cake flour, sifted
02 - 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
03 - 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

→ Egg Mixture

04 - 12 large egg whites, at room temperature
05 - 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
06 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
07 - 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)

# How to Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Ensure angel food cake pan is clean, dry, and ungreased.
02 - Sift cake flour, 3/4 cup sugar, and salt together three times for optimal aeration. Set aside.
03 - Beat egg whites on medium-high speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and continue beating until soft peaks form.
04 - Gradually add remaining 3/4 cup sugar in small increments while beating until stiff, glossy peaks form. Gently fold in vanilla and almond extracts.
05 - Sift flour mixture over whipped egg whites in three additions, folding gently after each until just combined without overmixing.
06 - Spoon batter evenly into ungreased tube pan. Smooth the surface and run a knife through to release large air pockets.
07 - Bake 35 to 40 minutes until golden and springy to the touch.
08 - Invert pan onto a bottle or rack immediately and cool completely upside down for 1 to 2 hours.
09 - Run a thin knife around edges to loosen and remove cake from the pan.
10 - Serve plain or accompanied by fresh berries and whipped cream.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's naturally fat-free and somehow tastes indulgent without any butter or oil.
  • The texture is so airy it practically melts on your tongue, yet the cake holds together beautifully.
  • One batch yields twelve servings, making it perfect for feeding a crowd or stretching your ingredients.
02 -
  • Even a tiny speck of egg yolk in your whites will prevent them from whipping to full volume—separate your eggs carefully and use a clean bowl.
  • The ungreased pan is essential; if you grease it out of habit, the batter will slide down the sides instead of clinging and rising.
03 -
  • If you don't have a sifter, whisk your flour and dry ingredients together in a bowl multiple times to aerate them properly.
  • The cake actually improves slightly after a day or two, so don't hesitate to bake it ahead and wrap it gently in plastic wrap until serving.
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