High Altitude Angel Food Cake With Variations Recipes

HIGH-ALTITUDE ANGEL FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 330 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• In a large glass or metal bowl, whip egg whites with cream of tartar and salt until soft peaks form. Gradually sprinkle in the sugar while continuing to whip to medium peaks. Since this is a high-altitude recipe, whip them only until they form a peak that falls over. Stir in the vanilla and lemon extracts. Use a rubber spatula to fold in flour a fourth at a time. Spoon into a clean and dry 9 inch tube pan.
• Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven, then increase the temperature to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Continue baking for another 3 minutes, or until the cake begins to shrink down a bit. Invert pan over a wire rack to cool. When cool, run a thin spatula or knife around the outer edge, and tap out firmly.

ANGEL FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• Let egg whites stand in bowl of a standing electric mixer (see cooks' note) at room temperature about 1 hour before making cake. (They should be about 60°F, slightly below room temperature.)
• Set oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Sift together confectioners sugar, flour, and salt onto a sheet of wax paper using a triple sifter or fine sieve.
• Beat whites in mixer until frothy. Add cream of tartar and beat at medium speed until they form soft peaks. Add granulated sugar gradually, beating, and continue beating just until whites are thickened and form soft, droopy peaks. Beat in vanilla.
• Sprinkle one fourth of sifted dry ingredients over whites and fold in with a rubber spatula gently but thoroughly. Fold in remaining dry ingredients, one third at a time.
• Gently pour batter evenly into ungreased tube pan and bake until top is light golden, cake retracts a bit from pan and springs back when touched lightly, and a tester comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Invert pan onto neck of an empty wine bottle or a large metal funnel and cool cake completely.
• To remove cake from pan, run tip of a long, narrow knife between outer edge of cake and pan. Tilt cake pan on its side and gently tap bottom edge against counter. Rotate pan, tapping and turning a few more times, until cake appears free. Cover pan with a metal rack or cardboard round and invert, tapping pan firmly to loosen cake. Lift pan from cake. (It should come out beautifully, like a pillow taken out of a slipcover.)
• Slice cake with a serrated knife, using a sawing motion.

HIGH-ALTITUDE BUTTERMILK DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Coat three 9-inch round cake pans generously with cooking spray.
• Mix cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.
• Beat white sugar, 1 cup butter, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and 1 teaspoon almond extract together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Pour in half of the buttermilk and mix well. Beat in eggs one at a time.
• Beat half of the flour mixture into the creamed butter mixture. Add remaining buttermilk; beat well to combine. Add remaining flour mixture and beat until batter is smooth, about 1 minute. Pour batter into prepared cake pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, 26 to 30 minutes. Let cool in pans, about 15 minutes. Invert onto wire racks and cool completely before frosting, about 45 minutes.
• Beat 1 1/4 cups butter, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and 1 teaspoon almond extract in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Beat in milk gradually. Add confectioners' sugar, 2 cups at a time, scraping sides of the bowl as needed, until frosting is smooth. Increase speed to high and beat, adding more milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until frosting is fluffy and spreadable.
• Spread frosting between cake layers and smooth over top and sides of cake.

HIGH ALTITUDE CHIFFON CAKE WITH VARIATIONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350F (these directions are for 5000 - 7500 feet elevation).
• Mix and sift flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into mixer bowl.
• Make a well in center and add oil, egg yolks, water, and vanilla.
• Mix 1 minute on low speed of upright mixer or medium speed of portable mixer, scraping frequently.
• Place egg whites and cream of tartar in another mixer bowl.
• Using clean beaters, beat to stiff peaks but not dry.
• Add beaten eggs whites to batter by thirds.
• With a rubber spatula, fold 15 strokes after the first and second addition and 25 strokes after the third.
• Pour batter into an ungreased, 10-inch tube pan.
• Bake at 350° for 55-65 minutes or until done.
• Remove from oven and cool in inverted pan.
• **Lemon Chiffon Cake: In place of the 3/4 cup cold water, substitute 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp cold water and 2 Tbsp strained lemon juice. Omit vanilla and add l Tbsp grated lemon rind.
• **Orange Chiffon Cake: In place of the 3/4 cup cold water, substitute 1/2 cup cold water and 1/4 cup strained orange juice. Omit vanilla and add l Tbsp grated orange rind.
• **Pineapple Chiffon Cake: In place of the 3/4 cup cold water, substitute 3/4 cup cold, unsweetened pineapple juice.

HIGH ALTITUDE ANGEL FOOD CAKE WITH VARIATIONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Sift flour and 1 cup sugar together three times.
• Place 1 3/4 cups egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar into mixing bowl and beat at high speed until fairly stiff (not stiff peak).
• Slowly add 1/2 cup sugar, close to beater.
• Add almond extract and vanilla.
• Beat until quite stiff but not dry.
• Add sifted sugar-flour mixture by fourths.
• Mix on low speed 10 seconds after each of first three additions and 20 seconds after last addition.
• Scrape down sides constantly during this mixing.
• Pour batter into a 10-inch, ungreased tube pan.
• Bake approximately 30 minutes.
• Remove from oven and cool in inverted pan.
• Altitude Adjustments:.
• 7,500 ft: Increase flour to 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons Reduce the 1 cup of sugar to 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons.
• 10,000 ft: Increase flour to 1 1/4 cups. Reduce the 1 cup of sugar to 3/4 cup. Increase the baking temperature to 425°.
• Variations:.
• Chocolate Angel Food Cake: Substitute 1/4 cup sifted cocoa for 1/4 cup cake flour in step 2 . Omit almond extract and increase vanilla to 1 1/2 teaspoons.
• Spice Angel Food Cake: Sift 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp cloves, and 1 tsp cinnamon with the flour. Omit vanilla and almond extracts.