flipAngel food cake to celebrate the crossing
Angel food cake to celebrate the crossing
Why this dish? To celebrate an achievement—her Atlantic crossing in 1928, her records—the American table brought out the grand cake. Angel food cake, a white cloud, light and immaculate, was THE cake for big occasions and receptions in the 1920s-30s, perfect for a heroine celebrated upon her return.
An airy cake like a cloud, made from beaten egg whites, without a trace of butter, flavored with vanilla and topped with a light glaze. Its whiteness and height made it the highlight of homecoming parties and receptions.
Every time I came back, there was the crowd, the reporters, and always this white cake as tall as a tower! They call it 'angel food cake' because it's so light it weighs nothing—nothing but egg whites beaten stiff, not a speck of butter. I'll admit I preferred the sky to the kitchen, but faced with a slice of that cloud, even an aviatrix stops for a minute. It's the sweetness of festive days, when you've landed the plane and can finally breathe.
- •Egg whites — a dozen (airy structure)
- •Fine sugar — a bowl (sweetness)
- •Cake flour — a bowl (structure)
- •Cream of tartar — a pinch (stabilizer for whites)
- •Vanilla — a few drops (flavor)
- •Salt — a pinch (balance)
Angel food cake to celebrate the crossing
An airy cake like a cloud, made from beaten egg whites, without a trace of butter, flavored with vanilla and topped with a light glaze. Its whiteness and height made it the highlight of homecoming parties and receptions.
Why this dish? To celebrate an achievement—her Atlantic crossing in 1928, her records—the American table brought out the grand cake. Angel food cake, a white cloud, light and immaculate, was THE cake for big occasions and receptions in the 1920s-30s, perfect for a heroine celebrated upon her return.
Every time I came back, there was the crowd, the reporters, and always this white cake as tall as a tower! They call it 'angel food cake' because it's so light it weighs nothing—nothing but egg whites beaten stiff, not a speck of butter. I'll admit I preferred the sky to the kitchen, but faced with a slice of that cloud, even an aviatrix stops for a minute. It's the sweetness of festive days, when you've landed the plane and can finally breathe.
Ingredients (period version)
- Egg whites — a dozen (airy structure)
- Fine sugar — a bowl (sweetness)
- Cake flour — a bowl (structure)
- Cream of tartar — a pinch (stabilizer for whites)
- Vanilla — a few drops (flavor)
- Salt — a pinch (balance)
Ingredients
- Egg whites — 12 (about 360 g) (airy structure)
- Fine powdered sugar — 300 g (sweetness)
- Cake flour (T45) — 120 g (structure)
- Cream of tartar — 1.5 tsp (stabilizer)
- Vanilla extract — 1 tsp (flavor)
- Salt — 1 pinch (balance)
Method
- Preheat oven to 170°C (325°F). Sift flour with one-third of the sugar.
- Beat egg whites with salt and cream of tartar; gradually add remaining sugar until stiff and glossy peaks form.
- Fold in vanilla, then flour-sugar mixture gently with a spatula.
- Pour into an UNGREASED tube pan (the cake needs to adhere to rise).
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top springs back when touched.
- Invert the pan upside down to cool (this prevents the cake from collapsing).
- Carefully loosen and serve plain or dusted with powdered sugar.
How it was made : Born in the 19th century in America, angel food cake became a prestige dessert once whisks and home ovens became common: beating a dozen egg whites by hand was a feat. It was baked in a tin tube pan, inverted on a bottle neck to cool without collapsing.
The contemporary twist : Top it with a cloud of whipped cream and a few red berries, and trace a thin line of coulis on the plate like a 'flight path': a cake that takes off.
Amelia Earhart · Charactorium
