Angel Food Cake for Clark

Clark's birthday cake

It looks like a giant doughnut, but it's really Clark's birthday cake -- always angel food cake for him!

The recipe is from the Gourmet cookbook.

Angel Food Cake

1 cup cake flour (Don't use all-purpose.)
1 2/3 C. sugar
1 3/4 C. egg whites (usually about 13) Room temperature is best.
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cream of tartar
 1/2 tsp vanilla

for Glaze
1 C. confectioners' sugar
2 T. fresh lemon juice

Put rack in middle of the oven and preheat to 300°.

Sift flour 3 times (it says -- I don't), then sift together with 2/3 C. sugar. (I just mix the two and fluff them up with a fork.)

Beat the egg whites until frothy. Add cream of tartar and salt and beat until whites barely form soft peaks. Beat in remaining 1 C. sugar 2 tablespoons at a time. Add vanilla and beat until whites hold soft peaks. Add the flour mixture, 1/4 at a time, and fold in gently but completely after each addition.

Spoon the batter into ungreased tube pan (If you grease it, the cake will not cling to the sides and it will be a fallen mess.) Smooth the top with the spatula and then rap the pan on the table a couple of times. This is fun and is supposed to burst bubbles.

Bake 1 1/4 hr. Invert on counter and cool for 2 hours.
Optional: make a glaze by mixing the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice and spreading it on top of the cool cake. Serve with berries, whipped cream, ice cream or nothing.