It really could have ended badly…it certainly started that way…

Steve’s birthday was on Thursday (his 40th…he’s finally back in the same decade with me) and he asked for Angel Food for his cake. 

Steve is really easy-going when it comes to cooking; he pretty much enjoys anything I make (with the possible exception of the orange mini-cheesecakes that didn’t set that I made one Halloween..those ended up in the trash).  He’s not picky about much of anything…except Angel Food cake.  The first year we were dating, I asked him what type of birthday cake he wanted and he told me Angel Food.  I thought, no problem, I’d pick up a mix from the store and whip one up. He said somewhat sheepishly that he didn’t like boxed Angel Food cake mixes.  So, I found a from-scratch recipe and whipped one up.  And it was good.  I was proud of myself and that actually started my love of making cakes from scratch.  I rarely use a mix any more for my cakes (when I do, it’s for Rainbow Cupcakes and that mix is doctored up!). 

So, when Steve said he wanted Angel Food again this year, I was ready.  He said, “Why don’t you just make one from a mix?”  See how awesome my husband is?  He was willing to put up with a boxed cake, just so I wouldn’t have to work as hard.  But, I was having no part of that…I wasn’t going to skimp on his 40th birthday cake (since apparently I skimped on his party…Abigail wanted to know why he wasn’t having all his friends over to jump in a jumpy thing…oops)!  I was up for the challenge.  At least I thought I was.  I forgot two things.  1)I have no idea where the recipe I used for that cake I made years ago is and, more importantly, 2)this time I would be making the cake with “help”.  “Help” in the form of two little chefs who don’t really follow directions well.

I solved problem one by finding a new recipe on-line.  I just grabbed the first one I found when I googled Angel Food cake recipe.  It turned out to be an Alton Brown recipe.  Okay, am I the only in the entire universe that thinks Alton Brown makes recipes ridiculously complicated?  I don’t know, maybe it’s just the couple I’ve tried.  Don’t get me wrong…Alton Brown is awesome…I love watching his shows and hearing the science and the history behind cooking, but I don’t think his recipes were meant to be tried with a three-year-old and a six-year-old acting crazy while you try and cook.  Then again, instant mashed potatoes would have been difficult to make with them yesterday, so take what I say with a grain of salt.

I knew we were in trouble when we started.  The girls climbed on top of the kitchen table and started to dance,   probably because it’s been so long since the top of the kitchen table’s been empty (I’ve had my sewing machine up there for weeks…we’ve been having lots of picnics ).  They were doing some kinds of belly dance thing that involved lots of arm waving.  I finally got them down and we got to work.

The thing I found particularly taxing about this recipe was all of the sifting.  The flour was sifted – then the flour was sifted with some of the sugar – then the sugar was sifted into the eggs whites – then the already sifted flour mixture was sifted into the egg white-sugar mixture.  Luckily, Abigail seemed to enjoy sifting…a lot….

I let Gracie pour the sugar (it was supposed to be sifted, but apparently my sifter’s holes are too big, because when I went to sift it, it just drained through like it was in a sieve).  She ended up getting most of it in the bowl…okay, that’s probably being generous…but I think she got more than half in…

The recipe called to mix the sugar and egg whites until medium peaks were formed.  OK, really?  What the heck are medium peaks?  I have enough trouble determining the difference between hard peaks and soft peaks when I beat egg whites…medium peaks?  The girls kept asking, “Are they medium yet?”  I completely guessed but hoped that the point I stopped was somewhere at least close to medium… (oh and by the way, taking a picture of egg whites is not easy…not easy at all)

Finally, we got the cake in the oven.  And by some miracle of modern-day cooking the thing actually rose.  And was beautiful…really beautiful…tall and golden on the edges and top.  I started to relax a little…

I let it cool upside down for an hour…which frustrated the girls to no end and made me a nervous wreck…I’m always afraid it’s going to fall out of the pan and smush flatter than a pancake, but it came out fine.

Then, it was time to decorate the cake.  I think a more accurate description would be mauling the cake.  First, they hurled frosting at it…

I think most of the frosting made it onto and in to their mouths

and then they attacked it with sprinkles

and finally, they mashed candles into it…

After dinner, we lit the candles, sang Happy Birthday, and then cut the cake.  I held my breath, hoping that Steve would like it.  “MMMMMM” was the only thing he said.  So I took a bite, and amazingly, unbelievably, it was delicious.  Really, really, really good….light but not so light that it didn’t have any flavor.  I used almond extract and I think that made it extra-yummy.  I’ll definitely be making the recipe again…it would be awesome with some strawberries and cream or blueberries and ice cream or some kind of whipped cream fluff…I’ve got all kinds of ideas for this recipe…it’s definitely a keeper.

Here it is, in case you want to use it:

Angel Food Cake

(adapted slightly from Alton Brown’s recipe at FoodNetwork.com)

1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups sugar (I think we used about 1 1/2 and it was plenty sweet enough, particularly with the frosting)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup cake flour

12 egg whites (the closer to room temperature the better)

1/3 cup warm water

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a food processor spin sugar about 2 minutes until it is superfine.  (I just used my little pulse food chopper and it worked fine…I seriously need to get a food processor)

Sift half of the sugar with the salt the cake flour, setting the remaining sugar aside (I did do this sifting)

In a large bowl, use a balloon whisk to thoroughly combine egg whites, water, orange extract, and cream of tartar. After 2 minutes, switch to a hand mixer (I used my stand mixer…again, I don’t have a hand mixer). Slowly sift the reserved sugar, beating continuously at medium speed (I didn’t sift here…I just poured…this was the sugar in a sieve situation…(random note…have you ever read Nectar in a Sieve?…awesome book…end random note)

Once you have achieved medium peaks (I have no idea what medium peaks are…I totally guessed), sift enough of the flour mixture in to dust the top of the foam (I did do this sifting). Using a spatula fold in gently. Continue until all of the flour mixture is incorporated.

Carefully spoon mixture into an ungreased tube pan. Bake for 35 minutes before checking for doneness with a wooden skewer. When inserted halfway between the inner and outer wall, the skewer should come out dry.  (I baked my exactly 35 minutes and it was perfectly done…my oven generally tends to take a little longer to bake things, so you might want to check yours at like 30 minutes)

Cool upside down on cooling rack for at least an hour before removing from pan.

There you go….it was a little bit of work but absolutely work it