Angel Food Loaf Cake

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups egg whites (about 10 large)
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• Sweetened whipped cream and mixed fresh berries, optional

Instructions

1. 1

   Prep the ingredients: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the egg whites in a large bowl and let them stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. In a separate bowl, sift the confectioners' sugar and all-purpose flour together twice, and set the mixture aside. Editor’s Tip: Sifting the ingredients together twice ensures there are no lumps, so everything dissolves easily into the meringue without overworking the batter and deflating the egg whites.

2. 2

   Make the meringue: Add the cream of tartar, vanilla extract, almond extract and salt to the bowl of room-temperature egg whites. Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the mixture on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add the granulated sugar, about 2 tablespoons at a time, beating on high until stiff glossy peaks form and the sugar is dissolved.

3. 3

   Mix the batter: Switch to a rubber spatula and gradually fold in the sugar and flour mixture, about a 1/2 cup at a time, just until no streaks of flour remain.

4. 4

   Add to pans: Gently spoon into two ungreased 8x4-inch loaf pans. Use a butter knife to cut through the batter to remove air pockets. Editor’s Tip: Do not grease the loaf pans. Angel food cake needs to cling to the sides of the pan in order to climb up the sides. If you grease the loaf pans, the cakes will bake into flat rectangles.

5. 5

   Bake the angel food loaf cake on the lowest oven rack until lightly browned and the entire top appears dry, 30 to 35 minutes.

6. 6

   Cool and serve: Immediately invert the loaf pans onto cooling racks and allow them to cool completely to room temperature, about one hour. Run a knife around the sides of the loaf pans. Remove the angel food loaf cakes to a serving plate. Serve with sweetened whipped cream and mixed fresh berries, as desired. Enjoy! Editor’s Tip: Why cool the cakes upside-down? It prevents the cake from collapsing. The structure is very delicate at this time, so you need to turn it upside-down immediately.