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Valued Contributor
Posts: 668
Registered: ‎03-12-2010

I just made my first angel food. It was fun, and it tastes delicious but it came out dense as opposed to fluffy. I did it exactly as recipe stated, so I know I must have omited something. I used a metal bowl for the egg whites, was that it? I beat until I had a peak, but maybe still could have gone on. Flour was sifted? Any ideas ladies?

Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,571
Registered: ‎07-31-2011

Did u use the correct type of pan? I believe you should u...

Did u use the correct type of pan? I believe you should use an angel cake pan. The one with the cone in the middle.
Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,026
Registered: ‎09-30-2012

Re: Angel Food cake question

[ Edited ]

@blankette...Maybe you forgot to Fold in the Egg Whites...Carefully Folding the Flour Mixture into the Egg Whites with a Spatula?

 

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Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,781
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Angel Food cake question

You possibly folded the flour into the white mixture too long, the more you "work" the cake mixture, the "tougher" the cake is.

 

Did you cool it upside down too?

 

 

Try it again, it's fun experimenting with something new, the last time I made a angel food cake, I added a cup of water and mixed it 1 minute on high!

(yes it was a box cake).

 

 

I'll be making a daffodil cake for Easter, it's 2 bowls and you alternate the yellow with the white, similar to a sponge cake meeting an angel food cake...with the yellow section lemon flavored...can't wait.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 43,242
Registered: ‎01-08-2011

Re: Angel Food cake question

I've made these in my Advanced Foods class until they ran out of my ears.  They were part of the "Egg Unit".  Surprisingly, the best cakes came from---(wait for it)-----the football players!!!!!  They had the arm muscles to do more complete folding!  Imagine my surprise the first time!!!  They were shocked to learn they were learning food science and hadn't taken "Eating 101"!!!!!

 

It sounds like you may not have beated your egg whites up into high enough peeks.  Also, make sure you break your room temp.  egg whites into a custard cup one at a time.  Just one speck of yellow can undermine your effort.  Yolk is has fat which tears down egg whites.

Once the sugar is added, the peeks can't be beaten any higher.

 

Because of complete cooking, a tube pan will give you the best results.  We also cut parchment or waxed paper to put in the bottom of the pan before the batter went in.  It's much better to peel that off than cut the cake from the pan and have all of those crumbs.

 

The aluminum pan for beating the egg whites was correct.  Hopefully, your recipe called for cream of tarter to hold the egg whites up after they were beaten.Just don't ever use plastic.  It is virtually impossible to get fat out of the pours of the plastic.

 

Try another, and make strawberry short cake!Smiley Happy  Let me know!

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Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,258
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Angel Food cake question

Did you use a hand mixer?  Sounds like it, since the indication was simply that a metal bowl was used.  Regardless, it sounds as though the whites were not beaten long enough.  If beaten enough to attain a soft peak, then the whites are not yet ready.  They must be beaten further, but not until they are stiff.  And, yes, adding cream of tartar helps the viability of egg whites.

 

The flour must be sifted.  You had a question mark by this, hence my statement.  Also, one thing I do, after having seen a known pastry chef do this, is to have a large sieve handy.  After sifting the flour and when you're ready to added it a bit at a time to the whites, place the flour in the sieve and shake over the whites, then gently fold, just a bit.  Add more flour and repeat.  Do not over-fold.

 

Pan prep:  Adding a parchment paper round to the bottom of your angle cake pan is extremely helpful(!)  Also, do not grease your pan.  That will lead to great disappointment.

 

When the cake has been removed from the oven, have a large cutting board or like surface ready.  Now gently turn your angelfood cake in the pan up-side-down so that it stands on the little feet of the pan to cool. 

 

When completely cool, turn the cake pan right side up and get a long, sharp knife.  Carefully run it around the inside of the pan, trying to stay away from the cake.  Do the same for the middle portion of the pan that sticks up to create the hole in the cake. 

 

At this point, you should be able to reach under the pan and push the bottom up.  You will have released the cake from the pan side.  Now you need two long spatulas or long pancake turners to help ease the cake up and off the remainder of the 2 part pan.  Lift and place cake onto a rack or cake plate.

 

(I make lemon curd and serve it with my angel cake.  Uses the yolks.)

 

Good Luck!

Valued Contributor
Posts: 668
Registered: ‎03-12-2010

Re: Angel Food cake question

[ Edited ]

Thank you all...i did not forget you!  I have not been on for awhile but I read all the suggestions, I am going back in again and think  I missed a step by not beating the whites long enough. This happened because I watched a YT video where the chef was adamant about not over beating... I knew he was going to mess me up, lol.

 

I did cool upside down, brought the whites to room temp and no yellow from yole got in. Didnt grease pan, it must have lack of air, but this cake was delicious anyway. I made it for my dog because it is the only food I can sneak a pill in successfully.