Recipe - Lemon-Vanilla Angel Food Cake

1 One half cup Egg whites
1 cup Allpurpose flour, or 1 1/4
cups cake flour
1 One fourth cup Granulated sugar, or 2 1/2
cups confectioners' sugar
1 One half teaspoon Cream of tartar
3 tablespoon Freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
Confectioners' sugar

A 10 x 4inch tube pan or a 9 to 10inch round cake pan with sides at least
3 inches high (a removable bottom is helpful)

Check that one rack is in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 325
degrees. Pour the egg whites into the bowl in which you will be making the
batter. If the pan has a removable bottom, do nothing to it. If it does
not, lightly butter the bottom. Line the bottom with waxed paper or
parchment paper cut to fit, and lightly butter the paper.

Thoroughly mix the flour and One fourth cup of the granulated sugar or One half cup of
the confectioners' sugar in a small bowl. Have all ingredients and tools at
hand.

Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 2
minutes, until frothy and well broken up. Add the cream of tartar and
increase the speed to mediumhigh. Beat until the whites lose their yellow
cast, greatly increase in volume, and start to turn white. With the mixer
running, slowly sprinkle the remaining sugar over the whites. Beat until
the whites become very thick, very glossy, and white, and the beaters leave
a deep trail. Depending on the mixer, this need only take about 3 minutes
total. Beat in the lemon juice and vanilla, just enough to mix. Reduce the
speed to the lowest possible. Quickly sprinkle the floursugar mixture over
the whites. As soon as it is all added, but not completely mixed in, stop
the machine and remove the bowl. With a rubber spatula or a large metal
spoon, complete mixing in the flour by folding or gently stirring. Stop
just as soon as the flour seems blended in. With a rubber spatula, scrape
the batter (9 cups) into the pan and spread evenly. Inscribe a circle deep
in the batter to release any large air bubbles.

Bake until no moist patches remain in the surface cracks, the cake springs
back when touched, and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean
~ about 50 minutes for a 10 x 3inch pan, 1 hour for a tube pan. Turn the
pan upside down on a wire rack. Let cool completely.

Loosen the edges (and tube) with a knife. Turn out the cake, loosen and
remove the pan bottom, or peel off the paper. Store airtight 1 day at room
temperature before serving or freezing. If you wish, sift confectioners'
sugar over the top before serving.
NOTES : Cooking Live

Recipe by: Cooking Live show #CL8801

Posted to MCRecipe Digest V1 #382 by Angele Freeman jfreeman@netusa1.net
on Jan 20, 1997.