Edna Lewis’s Angel Food Cake

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour and ¾ cups sugar and sift twice onto wax paper or a plate. Set aside.

2. Step 2

   Put egg whites into a large mixing bowl and beat on low speed until frothy. Add cream of tartar, salt, vanilla and 1 tablespoon water. Continue beating, gradually increasing speed until egg whites begin to increase in volume. Sprinkle remaining ¾ cup sugar over whites ¼ cup at a time, and beat until incorporated. Do not overbeat. Egg whites should be just firm enough to form soft peaks.

3. Step 3

   Sift ¼ of the reserved flour and sugar mixture over beaten whites and fold in. Repeat until entire mixture has been added, making sure each addition is fully incorporated into whites before adding more.

4. Step 4

   Spoon batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan. Use a long spatula or butter knife to draw a deep line through center of batter following circumference of pan; this will release any large pockets of air.

5. Step 5

   Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until cake is golden brown and springs back to the touch. Remove from oven and invert onto a plate; cool completely in pan. When cooled, use a long straight-edged spatula to loosen cake from sides of pan. Store tightly covered.