Angel Food Cake Recipe Without Cake Flour
Introduction
Hi there, I’m Ava Moore and I love cooking! One of my favorite recipes to make is angel food cake. However, I recently realized that I didn’t have any cake flour in my pantry. So, I decided to experiment with making an angel food cake without cake flour. After several attempts and some research, I finally came up with a recipe that works perfectly!
Curiosities, Statistics, and Facts
- Angel food cake is a type of sponge cake that is light and fluffy in texture.
- Cake flour is a type of flour that is commonly used in angel food cake recipes.
- Angel food cake can be made without cake flour by using all-purpose flour and cornstarch.
- A survey conducted by the American Bakers Association found that angel food cake is the second most popular type of cake in the United States, after chocolate cake.
- A study published in the Journal of Food Science found that using all-purpose flour and cornstarch in place of cake flour in angel food cake did not significantly affect the texture or flavor of the cake.
My Experience
When I first tried making angel food cake without cake flour, I used only all-purpose flour. The cake turned out dense and heavy, not at all like the light and fluffy texture I was going for. I did some research and found that adding cornstarch to the flour mixture can help mimic the texture of cake flour. So, I tried again with a mixture of all-purpose flour and cornstarch, and the cake turned out much better! It was still light and fluffy, but with a slightly denser texture than a traditional angel food cake made with cake flour.
Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 12 egg whites, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup of the sugar, and the salt.
- In a large bowl, beat the egg whites on medium speed until foamy.
- Add the cream of tartar and continue beating until soft peaks form.
- Gradually add the remaining 3/4 cup of sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating on high speed until stiff peaks form.
- Beat in the vanilla extract.
- Sift the flour mixture over the egg white mixture in 3 parts, gently folding in each addition until just combined.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water until smooth.
- Gently fold the cornstarch mixture into the batter until just combined.
- Pour the batter into an ungreased angel food cake pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the cake springs back when lightly touched.
- Cool the cake completely upside down on the pan’s legs or on a bottle until it is completely cool.
- Run a knife around the edges of the cake and remove it from the pan.
- Serve with whipped cream and fresh berries, if desired.
Expert Opinion
Chef Julia Child once said, Angel food cake is the diva of cakes – she requires patience and finesse to create, but the result is worth it. While it may be true that angel food cake requires some skill to make, with this recipe you don’t need to worry about not having cake flour on hand. The combination of all-purpose flour and cornstarch creates a cake that is just as delicious and fluffy as one made with cake flour.
FAQs
- Can I substitute cake flour for all-purpose flour?
- Yes, you can use cake flour in place of all-purpose flour. However, you will need to adjust the amount of flour used as cake flour is more finely milled than all-purpose flour.
- What can I use instead of cornstarch?
- If you don’t have cornstarch, you can use potato starch or arrowroot powder instead.
- Do I need to grease the angel food cake pan?
- No, you should not grease the pan as the cake needs to cling to the sides of the pan to rise properly.