Lemon Angel Food Cake

Show: Barefoot ContessaEpisode: Feel Good Food

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (43)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(43)

Cook Time:
40 min
Level:
Intermediate
Yield:
8 servings

Times:

Prep: 20 min
Inactive Prep: --
Cook: 40 min
Total:: 1 hr 0 min

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Ingredients

2 cups sifted superfine sugar, divided
1 1/3 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising)
1 1/2 cups egg whites, at room temperature (10 to 12 eggs)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine 1/2 cup of sugar with the flour and sift together 4 times. Set aside.

Place the egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and beat on high speed until the eggs make medium-firm peaks, about 1 minute. With the mixer on medium speed, add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of sugar by sprinkling it over the beaten egg whites. Whisk for a few minutes until thick and shiny. Whisk in the vanilla and lemon zest and continue to whisk until very thick, about 1 more minute. Sift about 1/4 of the flour mixture over the egg whites and fold it into the batter with a rubber spatula. Continue adding the flour by fourths by sifting and folding until it's all incorporated.

Pour the batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan, smooth the top, and bake it for 35 to 40 minutes, until it springs back to the touch. Remove the cake from the oven and invert the pan on a cooling rack until cool.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Lemon Angel Food Cake
Sara Brooklyn, NY 01-23-2010
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Easy, doesn't need the lemon
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

The recipe was easy. I used granulated sugar so then beat the whites for longer, about 8 minutes (set a timer) to melt the... sugar and achieve the proper aeration. This is especially useful if you want to use organic sugar. I found the lemon overpowering the vanilla sweetness of the cake. It also sometimes left a sour aftertaste. Unnecessary. Read more
recipe Lemon Angel Food Cake
Lee Bel Air, MD 12-17-2009
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Delicious
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

It was very easy to make in the mixer. The cake is light and delicious. I made it for my mom because angel food cake is her... favorite. She loved it and so did the rest of the family and friends.Read more
recipe Lemon Angel Food Cake
tracie highland, IN 12-11-2009
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Almost perfectt...
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This recipe was very good once I got it out of the pan. The instructions said to pour it into an ungreased pan. I had... trouble getting the medium peeks and probably overmixed it so it may be my fault but it looked awful by the time I scraped it away from the pan. In any case, next time I will at least sray the pan with cooking spray. That being said, it was the best angel food cake I've ever tasted. It's nothing like the tasteless spongey store bought version.Read more
recipe Lemon Angel Food Cake
Beth Apopka, FL 10-12-2009
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My first -- and last -- Angel Food Cake
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This cake was de-e-e-licious! I find it hard to say any more. I followed her recipe and it was perfect. The only thing I can... find to say is that it was so fluffy it was impossible to follow her instruction to invert the pan to cool. But in the end, it didn't matter because it came out of the pan just fine. I made the lemon glaze and it was delightful. I'll never need another angel food cake recipe. Thanks, Ina!Read more
recipe Lemon Angel Food Cake
Kyrah Winston Salem, NC 08-18-2009
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Use farm fresh eggs
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I've made this cake twice and both times it came out fantastic but the second time it was waaay better. The first time, I... used eggs from the grocery store; the second time, I used eggs I bought at the farmer's market. The difference was unbelievable, in taste, texture and in the quantity required (I only needed 8 of the farm eggs to make 1.5C of whites). They whipped up higher and tasted sooo much better in the cake. If you're going to go to the effort to make this, it's well worth the extra couple of dollars!Read more
recipe Lemon Angel Food Cake
Dawn Arlington, VA 06-20-2009
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Easiest Recipe to follow....
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This was my first time to make an Angel Food Cake. Of course I used this recipe by Ina because her techniques are not... complicated to follow. I follow the directions to the tee, except I used powered sugar instead of regular sugar. The cake had no problems rising because of the switch. This angel food cake was light and airy with a wonderful lemon flavor running though it. It was not overpowering at all. The lemon flavor also complimented the flavors of the different fruit and ice cream topping drizzled over it. I will definitely be making this cake again (I am actually making it right now for my husband's birthday tomorrow). Thank you for such a wonderful recipe!Read more