Description

This is a light cake perfect for summer. Don’t let the meringue scare you. Make sure your bowl is completely clean and dry before adding egg whites and whip away. The frothy egg whites will turn into a glossy meringue in no time.

Ingredients

Scale

7/8 c. all-purpose unbleached flour*
2 tbsp. cornstarch or potato starch
dash of sea salt
12 large egg whites
1 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1 1/2 c. pure cane sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. lemon juice, fresh

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Instructions

Reposition baking rack in the lower third of oven. Preheat to 350 degrees.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, starch, and salt until evenly combined. Set aside.
Using a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the egg whites and begin mixing on medium until frothy, about 1 minute.
Add in cream of tartar and continue beating on medium until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes.
Increase to high and slowly add in the sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time allowing time to dissolve before the next addition. Meringue will begin to thicken.
Continue to beat until stiff peaks form. To check, pull up whisk attachment out of the meringue. A stiff peak should hold in place. Batter will look glossy.
Gently fold in extract, lemon juice, and flour with a spatula, making deep swooping motions through the batter.
Once evenly combined, distribute batter into an angel food cake pan with a removable bottom. Spraying the pan in this case is a no, no. Run a sharp knife through the batter and rap the pan on the counter several times to remove any air pockets.
Bake for about 30 minutes. Top will be golden.
Immediately invert onto a wine bottle and allow to cool completely for 1-2 hours.
To remove cake, use a thin, sharp knife to loosen the edges from the pan. Remove and loosen the top of the cake from the pan. Carefully invert.
Serve with macerated berries and whipped cream (or whatever your heart desires). Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Notes

*Typically angel food cake calls for cake flour (lighter than regular flour), but I never keep it around. You can easily substitue the flour and the starch for one cup of cake flour in this recipe. Side note: to measure 7/8 cup of the regular flour, measure one cup of flour and remove 2 tablespoons.