Ina's Lemon Angel Food Cake!

Ina Garten's Lemon Angel Food Cake

-This is an easy recipe. The only downside is the amount of sifting. I make this quite often and people really enjoy it. Once you make your own angel food, I guarantee you will never buy a store-bought bland sponge again! This recipe is light, fluffy and full of flavor. Plus, angel food uses egg whites, which is a plus for my hubby Michael, who has high-cholesterol (egg-yolks are a no-no). It's a much healthier alternative. You can eat it plain or add fruit, etc...

Here are a few helpful tips before you start:

1) Make sure you use CAKE FLOUR!!! 'Softasilk' can be found at most grocery stores.
2) If you don't have a sifter, use a mesh sieve - either way, your arm will get a work out...
3) Make a summer fruit compote (Fresh Berries, lemon juice and sugar) along with some homemade whip cream for fun!
4) When cake is cooled, add a lightly dripped glaze of lemon juice and confectioner's sugar for added lemon flavor.
5) If you don't have superfine sugar, put standard granulated sugar in the food processor and pulse until consistency is superfine.
6) Enjoy!

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 2 cups sifted superfine sugar, divided
• 1 1/3 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising)
• 1 1/2 cups egg whites, at room temperature (10 to 12 eggs)
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine 1/2 cup of sugar with the flour and sift together 4 times. Set aside.

Place the egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and beat on high speed until the eggs make medium-firm peaks, about 1 minute. With the mixer on medium speed, add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of sugar by sprinkling it over the beaten egg whites. Whisk for a few minutes until thick and shiny. Whisk in the vanilla and lemon zest and continue to whisk until very thick, about 1 more minute. Sift about 1/4 of the flour mixture over the egg whites and fold it into the batter with a rubber spatula. Continue adding the flour by fourths by sifting and folding until it's all incorporated.

Pour the batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan, smooth the top, and bake it for 35 to 40 minutes, until it springs back to the touch. Remove the cake from the oven and invert the pan on a cooling rack until cool.