My Mother's Favorite Dessert

on

My mama 1940's

Mother's Day is almost here! For some of us, we no longer have our mother's with us and there are loved ones who never knew the joy of being a mom. It can be bittersweet. My own mama has been gone for 30 years, but the memories of her still linger even after all this time.

Mother's day brings happy memories of my mama even closer and making an angel food cake does too. Oh how my mama liked angel food cake! Or maybe it was my dad who liked it. Ha! I do know she made it quite a lot for special occasions and Mother's Day was one of those.

Sometimes my mama would make her angel food cake from scratch and other times she would use a box mix. Her favorite made from scratch recipe came from her Betty Crocker cookbook. She would glaze the cake with a simple frosting or make a 7-minute frosting to dress the angel food cake up to the next level. Either way, it was always very good and we always enjoyed it.


If you don't own a Betty Crocker cookbook, I recommend you get one. The recipes are tried and true. 

If you haven't made an angel food cake from scratch, I would like to encourage you to give it a try. If you follow these following tips, I believe you can be successful.

It does take a lot of eggs to make an angel food cake. 12 eggs to be exact. Even though the recipe calls for a lot of eggs, an angel food cake is relative inexpensive to make. Since egg yolks aren't used in an angel food cake, the left over yolks can be used in custards, or ice cream or even homemade noodles, which is my favorite way to use them.

10 Tips for Making a Successful Angel Food Cake

  1. Separate the eggs while cold. The yolks are less likely to break.
  2. Allow the eggs whites to come to room temperature before beating. They will fluff up better at room temperature. (about 30 minutes out of the refrigerator should be long enough)
  3. Be careful not to get any egg yolk in the egg whites. Separate the eggs over a small bowl to help prevent this.
  4. Make sure your bowls and utensils are free of grease or oil. Fat prevents the egg whites from getting fluffing. Don't use plastic bowls as plastic bowls retain a bit of oil or fat from previous dishes no matter how much you wash it.
  5. Angel food cake batter will not be as stiff as a meringue batter. It will have a looser consistency but will still be glossy and form nice stiff peaks. 
  6. Be sure not to 'over beat' the egg whites (before adding the sugar) as it can cause them to deflate. Beat the egg white until they form soft peaks before adding the sugar.
  7. Do not grease the angel food cake pan. The batter will cling to the sides of the pan as it rises. Fat will cause the batter not to rise as high. This is why you need an angel food cake 'tube' pan with a removable bottom so the cake can rise extra high.
  8. Cook the cake to the minimum time listed on the recipe before checking the cake. An underdone cake or any change of temperature (from opening the oven door), is at risk of falling.
  9. Resist the urge to cut down on the sugar. Sugar is what makes the egg whites 'fluff'. Less sugar makes a denser cake.
  10. Gradually add the flour 1/4 cup at a time. Carefully fold the flour into the beaten egg whites in a soft folding motion.
And there you have it! Are you ready to try your hand at making an angel food cake? 

One last tip. Wash all utensils and bowls before using them. 

My angel food cake from scratch.


ANGEL FOOD CAKE


    1 cup cake flour
      1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
        1 1/2 cups egg whites, at room temperature (about 12 eggs)
          1 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
            1 cup granulated sugar
              1/4 teaspoon salt
                1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
                Heat oven to 375 F. Mix flour and powdered sugar together. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in a large metal mixing bowl on medium speed until foamy. Gradually beat in granulated sugar on high speed, 2 Tablespoons at a time. Continue to beat until glossy and peaks form. Add salt and vanilla. Do not under beat.
                Sprinkle flour and powdered sugar mixture, 1/4 cup at a time, over the 'meringue', carefully folding the flour mixture into the batter just until it disappears. Repeat until all flour has been incorporated into the 'meringue'. Push batter into an ungreased tube pan. Gently cut through the batter with a metal knife. 
                Bake until the 'cracks' feel dry and top of cake springs back when touched lightly, about 30-35 minutes. Invert pan on a funnel or any bottle with a long neck. Let the cake hang upside down until cake it cold (about 1-1 1/2 hours). Remove from pan by running a knife around the inter edge and bottom of the cake pan. Cake should come out easily. Place it on a cake platter and frost or leave plain. It is delicious with or without frosting.

                ******************

                Before I go, I must mention my dearest mother-in-law, who was a great cook and baker in her own right. She had a specialty dessert of her own that I would like to share with you, too. Hers was Strawberry Shortcake and the shortcake was made from scratch. Here is my hand written recipe that I have used over the 40+ years of being married to her son. It is so delicious that you will not want to buy shortcake in the grocery store again.

                Homemade shortcake

                This recipe will make 2-8" round cakes. 


                As I close, I don't want to forget those that we love who have never known the joy of being a mom. I have no way of knowing the disappointment and sadness of not having children brings as I have 3 precious children of my own. I do want those who don't have children of their own to remember how much your own mother loves you. 

                My crazy kids!

Comments

Post a Comment