Description
Luscious lemon angel food cake celebrates Ina Garten’s signature citrus dessert with delicate, airy perfection. Zesty lemon glaze and light-as-air cake promise a refreshing slice of culinary bliss you’ll savor to the last crumb.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ cups (360ml/12 fl oz) egg whites, at room temperature (10 to 12 eggs)
- 2 cups (400g/14 oz) superfine sugar
- 1 ⅓ cups (150g/5.3 oz) sifted cake flour (not self-rising)
- 1 ½ tsps (6g/0.2 oz) cream of tartar
- ¾ tsp (4g/0.14 oz) kosher salt
- 1 ½ tsps (6g/0.2 oz) grated lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
- ¾ tsp (3.7ml/0.12 fl oz) pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Oven Preparation: Calibrate oven to 350°F (175°C), positioning rack in center for uniform heat distribution.
- Flour Composition: Meticulously sift cake flour and sugar together four consecutive times, ensuring ultra-fine, cloud-like consistency.
- Egg White Transformation: Employ electric mixer with whisk attachment to whip egg whites, integrating kosher salt and cream of tartar. Elevate to medium-firm peaks with dynamic circular motion until achieving silky, voluminous texture.
- Sugar Integration: Gradually cascade remaining sugar while maintaining mixer momentum, developing glossy, substantial meringue with pronounced structural integrity.
- Aromatic Enhancement: Delicately fold vanilla extract and vibrant lemon zest into whipped egg white mixture, preserving delicate air pockets and infusing bright citrus essence.
- Batter Assembly: Gently incorporate flour mixture into egg white foundation, utilizing rubber spatula with tender, sweeping motions. Fold in quadrant increments to maintain ethereal lightness.
- Pan Deployment: Gracefully transfer aerated batter into pristine, ungreased 10-inch tube pan, creating smooth, level surface for optimal rising potential.
- Baking Choreography: Position cake in preheated oven, monitoring for 35-40 minutes. Validate doneness by gentle press test – cake should elastically rebound when touched.
- Cooling Protocol: Immediately invert pan onto wire rack post-baking, allowing complete atmospheric cooling before carefully extracting celestial cake from its vessel.
Notes
- Precision Sifting: Sift cake flour and sugar four times to guarantee an ultra-light, cloud-like cake texture that melts in your mouth.
- Egg White Technique: Whip egg whites to medium-firm peaks using electric mixer, ensuring salt and cream of tartar create stable, voluminous meringue with glossy finish.
- Gentle Folding Strategy: Incorporate dry ingredients delicately using rubber spatula, adding flour in quarters to preserve precious air bubbles and maintain cake’s delicate structure.
- Pan Positioning Trick: Use ungreased tube pan and invert immediately after baking to prevent cake from deflating, allowing perfect height and tender crumb development.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 10
- Calories: 138
- Sugar: 40 g
- Sodium: 0.4 g
- Fat: 0.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 0.1 g
- Protein: 3.5 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg