Hildegard's Angel Food Cake

Here's the recipe as I recorded it when my grandma taught me in about 2002. The photo shows Lauren blowing out her birthday candles a few years back. The cake sits atop a stand Joel's parents received as a wedding gift.

1½ cups egg whites (whites from  one dozen eggs) 
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sifted cake flour*
1½ cup sifted powdered sugar

  1. Sift powdered sugar into medium mixing bowl. Sift cake flour into powdered sugar. Sift flour and powdered sugar together back and forth 5 times.

  2. Separate egg whites. Beat egg whites (#8 on Gram's mixer) until nearly stiff.

  3. Add cream of tartar, salt; continue mixing until stiff (tip bowl). ADD SUGAR and vanilla.

  4. Transfer egg whites mixture to an extra large! mixing bowl. Fold flour mixture gradually into egg whites.

  5. Pour cake batter evenly into angel food cake pan. Remove air bubbles by cutting through batter with clean butter knife.

  6. Place in cold oven; cover with piece of paper bag.** Bake for 10 minutes at 200 to 250º F. Remove paper bag, increase heat to 350º F and bake for 25 to 35 minutes more.

Know when it's done by the color and when edges start moving away from pan.***  

* cake flour substitute = ¾ cup all-purpose flour plus ¼ cup cornstarch

** These days, I use parchment paper.

*** Betty Crocker says that cracks will feel dry when the cake is done and the top will spring back when touched lightly.