Angel sponge cake
Description
The recipe won’t take much time. It’s especially handy when you have leftover egg whites in the fridge from other baking or desserts. That happens a lot: you’re making something, whites are left over, and you don’t know what to do with them. Bookmark this recipe with confidence—it’s a keeper! Pour the whites into a glass, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. In the fridge they’ll keep for 3–5 days; they won’t spoil but will “age” and develop special properties. Those whites work beautifully for angel food cake, meringues, meringue kisses, and macarons. Thawed whites work in this recipe too. This sponge cake will win everyone over—especially first-time tasters. Be sure to try it. Serve warm or chilled. Perfect with tea.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
Prepare all the ingredients according to the list. The egg whites should be at room temperature.
- 2
Step 2
Pour the egg whites into a clean, dry container.
- 3
Step 3
Add salt and citric acid. Begin whisking and gradually increase the speed.
- 4
Step 4
When foam appears, add the sugar gradually in several batches.
- 5
Step 5
Once all the sugar has been added, continue whipping the meringue on medium-high speed.
- 6
Step 6
If you like, add a pinch of vanilla. The meringue should turn out soft but stable.
- 7
Step 7
This is what the base for the future angel sponge cake looks like.
- 8
Step 8
Add sifted flour.
- 9
Step 9
Carefully mix the sponge cake batter with a spatula.
- 10
Step 10
Make sure all the flour has combined with the egg whites and no unmixed spots remain. You should end up with a fairly thick dough like this.
- 11
Step 11
To keep an egg-white sponge cake from collapsing during baking, it’s better to bake it in a small-diameter tin or in a round tube pan (with a hole in the centre). I prepared an adjustable ring in advance, set to 18 cm in diameter, lined it with foil and placed it straight on a baking sheet. There’s no need to grease it with butter. Spoon the batter into the tin and smooth it lightly with a spatula.
- 12
Step 12
Place in an oven preheated to 170°C (top and bottom heat, no convection). I baked for 40 minutes (on a rack slightly below the middle). Do not open the oven for the first 25–30 minutes. Check the sponge for doneness with a dry skewer (without taking it out of the oven). There should be no raw batter on it. While still hot, right after baking, invert the sponge in the pan and leave it on a wire rack until completely cool. Inverted like this, it will not collapse and will keep its original shape.
- 13
Step 13
Remove the foil from the sponge cake once it has cooled completely.
- 14
Step 14
Use a knife to remove it from the pan. The sponge must be left to rest. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 6 hours, or preferably overnight. Egg-white sponge cake can be made ahead: it keeps in the refrigerator for up to a week and in the freezer for up to a month. The important thing is to wrap it airtight in plastic wrap.
- 15
Step 15
Angel food sponge is ready. Now you can slice the rested sponge into 2–3 layers and make an absolutely delicious little cake.