Angel Food Cake ~ 天使蛋糕

 

Angel Food Cake is a meringue based sponge cake with no butter, no oil and no baking powder or any rising agent.  It's aerated texture comes from the beaten egg whites.  This cake is soft, cloud-like, pillowy with a slight tinge of orange and is great to serve as dessert with some whipped cream, berries and in my case I chose grapes.

Angel Food Cake ~~  天使蛋糕

Ingredients (A)

• 100 gm superfine flour  (plain flour also can be used)
• 90 gm caster sugar   

(B)                                                        

• 1.1/4 cups egg whites (approx. from 9 'L' eggs) 
• 90 gm caster sugar 
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1.1/2 tsp cream of tartar OR 2.1/2 tsp lemon juice       
• 1/2 tsp vanilla paste or 1 tsp vanilla essence (I used vanilla paste)

Method

1. Pour the egg whites into a clean mixing bowl.  (Egg whites should be at room temperature for them to inflate well).  Set aside for about 30 mins.
2. Mix the flour with the caster sugar, sift thrice.  Set aside.
3. Add lemon juice, salt and vanilla paste into the mixing bowl of egg whites.  Beat till foamy and soft peaks, then gradually add in the caster sugar, a tablespoon at a time.  Adding sugar all at once will deflate the egg whites.
4. Continue beating till stiff peaks but not dry.
5. Sift in the flour and sugar mixture a little at a time.  Fold in lightly.
6. Add in the orange zest.   Fold in till all the flour mixture has been fully incorporated.
7. Scoop batter into a 23 cm ungreased chiffon/tube pan.  Smoothen the surface with a spoon or spatula.  
8. Use a skewer to swirl the batter to break up any air bubbles.
9. Bake in a preheated oven @ 170 deg.C for 35 to 40 mins. till golden brown.  Remove from the oven and immediately invert the cake to let it cool completely.  Unmould the cake by hand.
10. Cut the cake with a serrated knife and serve with a dollop of soft whipped cream, berries or dust the cake with some icing sugar before serving.