Classic Angel Food Cake

Ingredients

• 0.5 teaspoon almond extract 
• 1 cup cake flour sifted
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar 
• 12 large egg whites 
• 1.5 teaspoons juice of lemon fresh
• 0.3 teaspoon salt 
• 1.5 cups sugar divided
• 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract 

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• oven
• knife
• whisk
• blender
• spatula
• measuring cup

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 32
2. To prepare cake, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife.
3. Combine flour and 3/4 cup sugar, stirring with a whisk.
4. Place egg whites in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until foamy.
5. Add cream of tartar and salt; beat until soft peaks form.
6. Add 3/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Beat in vanilla, juice, and almond extract. Sift 1/4 cup flour mixture over egg white mixture; fold in. Repeat with remaining flour mixture, 1/4 cup at a time.
7. Spoon the batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan, spreading evenly. Break air pockets by cutting through the batter with a knife.
8. Bake at 325 for 55 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Invert pan; cool completely. Loosen cake from sides of pan using a narrow metal spatula. Invert the cake onto a plate.
9. Nutty: For nut lovers; fold 1/2 cup finely chopped toasted nuts--such as almonds, walnuts, or hazelnuts--into the batter with the flour.
10. Whisk together 3 tablespoons unsweeetened cocoa, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and about 3 tablespoons water or cold coffee.
11. Drizzle over cooled cake.
12. Add 2 tablespoons malted milk powder and 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder to the flour mixture.
13. Whisk together 2 tablespoons lime, lemon, orange juice and 1 cup powdered sugar until smooth.
14. Drizzle over cooled cake.
15. Cut the cake horizontally into 3 layers, then spread each layer with cup of softened ice cream or sorbet. Reassemble the cake, then freeze it until ready to serve.
16. Orange: Fold 2 tablespoons grated orange peel and 1 teaspoon orange extract into the batter.
17. Add 1/4 teaspoon red food coloring to the batter and fold in 1/4 cup finely crushed hard peppermint candies.
18. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice to the flour mixture.