Angel Food Cake

Well, like I said last night - I had no idea that making an angel food cake was rocket science. I was planning on mixing the 6 ingredients in a bowl and baking a cake. I got in way over my head with this one. It took me over an hour to make it and over 30 minutes to bake it!
Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups egg whites (10 to 12 large eggs)

1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar

1 cup sifted cake flour or sifted all purpose flour*

1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup granulated sugar

1. In an extra-large mixing bowl allow egg whites to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, sift powdered sugar and flour together 3 times, set aside.

2. Add cream of tartar and vanilla to egg whites. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed til soft peaks form (tips curl). Gradually add sugar, about 2 tablespoons at a time, beating till stiff peaks form (tips stand straight)

3. Sift about 1/4 of the dry mixture over beaten egg whites; fold in gently (to fold in, cut down through mixture with a rubber spatula; scrape across bottom of bowl and bring spatula up and over, close to surface). Repeat, folding in remaining dry mixture by fourths. Pour into an ungreased 10 inch tube pan. Gently cut through batter with a narrow metal spatula or knife to remove an large air pockets.

4. Bake on the lowest rack in a 350º oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Immediately invert cake (leave in pan); cool thoroughly. Loosen sides of cake from pan (slide a metal spatula between the pan and the cake. Constantly pressing the spatula against the pan, draw it around the pan in a continuous, not sawing motion so you don't cut into the cake. Remove cake.

Makes 12 servings.

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