Angel food cake is one of those desserts that instantly brings back memories of my childhood. Soft and fluffy, topped with berries, baked for no good reason at all (like one needs a reason to bake a cake, but you know what I mean), and cooled upside down for what seemed to be the longest.time.ever in little kid minutes.
Multi-layered chocolate was the go-to that appeared at birthdays, but angel food was a cake my mother started baking when I was a baby to use up all the egg whites that collected in the freezer due to the raw egg yolks she used to put in my bottle. The consumption of egg yolks ceased around the time I started walking but the cake lived on.
Wait, wait, wait. Raw eggs in what?!
It was the 70’s, it was advice from my grandmother, and I’m still alive so let’s move on, shall we?
But before we move on, hello, hello and (because it’s not quite yet February and I haven’t talked to you yet this year so it’s totally acceptable) Happy New Year!
After a crazy few weeks — months? wait, what day is it? never mind, it doesn’t really matter –of shooting and styling and reading little other than other people’s recipes, it seems my head is so full of pictures that there’s no room for words.
Or at least a string of words anything longer than an Instagram post and perhaps a recipe headnote…there’s a distinct possibility this post began with that “hello, hello” until a recipe head note seemed to write itself to a length which demanded it be moved to the top and I discovered that after pounding out a tome about how I have no words I apparently had a few hiding away. But I digress.
Of course this apparent lack of words that means I have all sorts of pictures, and recipes, and pictures of said recipes, ready and waiting — yet I keep sitting on them in lieu of having little to write other than a list of ingredients.
So I’m once again giving myself permission to just post recipes and pictures and stop fretting about the fact that I used to tell stories.
And even if there’s nothing to say about said recipes other than this is good and you should make it and share it with the ones you love (or make it and keep it all for yourself, there’s no judgement here), that’s ok. And if you want more than that it may be best to come visit me over on Instagram or Facebook — apparently I’m pretty amusing there.
Oh, before I go, a few things I’ve seen lately that you may find interesting:
- Maybe instead of writing stories in posts I should simply start making my recipes far more lyrical.
- A guide of 8 guides on what to do / see / eat in NYC (sigh).
- The way to get better at what you want to be doing is to simply keep doing it.
- I’ve only spent a short few hours of a single day in Venice, this guide makes me want to return for a much, much longer visit.
- So these may not be the food styling tips you’ll learn in my workshop (well except maybe the mashed potato one) but it does give some interesting insights into the world of commercial food photography…
In the interest of adding a slightly heathy angle to it all I’ve swapped out the wheat flour for spelt, reduced the sugar slightly, and used an unrefined version for good measure. Let’s get baking. Makes 1 cake INGREDIENTS METHOD Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Into a medium bowl sift the spelt flour, corn flour and ½ c (100g) caster sugar. Place egg whites, cream of tartar and salt into the largest bowl you own — seriously — and with an electric hand mixer beat on high to soft peaks. Reduce speed to medium and add remaining ¾ c sugar (150g) a tablespoon or so at a time, beating until the egg whites turn into stiff glossy peaks. Beat in lemon juice. Sift over flour mixture (yes, sift again) in four batches, gently folding each batch in before adding the next. Spoon batter into an un-greased, not nonstick, two piece tube pan Bake 35 mins until golden. Remove from oven and immediately invert pan over a bottle. Cool completely while upside-down, at least an hour, then run a knife around the side and centre to remove cake from pan. Serve on it’s own, topped with fruit, drizzled with chocolate sauce, slathered with lemon curd, or all of the above. COOK’S NOTES & FAQS vegetarian // whole-grain // refined sugar-free // nut-free // soy-freeSpelt Angel Food Cake
Soft and fluffy, topped with berries or pretty much anything else you please, angel food is a perfect way to use up egg whites left behind from making lemon curd or custard or creme brulee or sponge cake. Of course it will also provide you with a perfect excuse to make those things simply to end up with egg whites for this cake.
Beautiful images, and a very non-Australian alternative for leftover egg whites… I’m in! 😉
Thanks Alison – Pav and meringues are a bit too sweet for me but this is heaven!
Oh my! This angel food cake looks so perfect! 🙂
Thank you Gemma!
Love angel food cake but had no idea it took a dozen egg whites! More lemon curd all round then I guess 🙂
That’s one reason I never make it! But when I had a dozen egg whites sitting there this was the only answer 😉
I have to admit that I have never tried angel food cake – but this makes me really want to attempt one! The white fluffiness reminds me of the inside of a pavlova, so gorgeous. Love your plates as well 🙂
It’s like a less sweet more cakey version of pav (so maybe not pav at all haha). Thanks re the plates – one day I’ll make more to get them up in the shop! x
Ok I am going to attempt this! Never made Angel cake before but this looks so fluffffyyyyyy! I hear you on the raw eggs. I was given a raw egg milkshake almost every morning and quite developed a taste for it. Although I don’t think I could stomach it now lol.
So fluffy! Haha glad to hear I wasn’t the only one – what doesn’t kill us, right? 😉
Angel food cake was my favorite growing up! Always topped with whipped cream and fresh berries. This recipe is a must try for me! The healthier take is right up my alley. I’ve personally never made angel food cake but you’ve definitely given me the incentive to do so! xo, Jess
Yay I hope you do! ~ JJ
does this work well with whole spelt flour? Also, can I use honey in place of the sugar?
Hi Steve, as mentioned in the COOK’S NOTES I haven’t tested whole spelt flour. No, honey cannot replace sugar, the extra liquid it contains causes the whites to not reach the correct consistency. ~JJ
I remember making all those cakes. Used to cool them upside down on the neck of a beer bottle. Don’t see many of those these days.
Looks wonderful! I have sprouted spelt on hand, do you think that would work?