"angel food cake" news and stories

Happy National Angel Food Cake Day!

Named for its airy texture -- a lightness achieved by the use of egg whites, stiffly beaten, and the omission of the dairy fats typically used in baked goods -- angel food cake is an American creation dating back to the 1800s. Its exact point of origin, however, is debated: While some believe it's likely to have originated in southern Pennsylvania, an area known as a prominent cake mold producer at the time, other food historians argue that angel cake was created by slaves in the antebellum South, under the reasoning that the labor-intensive process required a strong arm to beat the egg whites.

The Presidents Cookbook, published in 1883, paints an even more mysterious creation tale: "The story goes, according to a cookbook published in 1883, that a family who lived along the Atlantic Coast moved to a quiet place along the Hudson River and opened a boarding house. A friends presented one of the ladies of the family, who was remarkable skilled as a cake-baker, a valuable "receipt" that had come to her from a friend in India. Sometime later, the family left their picturesque boarding house along the Hudson and returned to their original coastal home. There, the cake-baker of the family opened a bakery of sorts, specializing in various cakes, including the mysterious cake from the East. This special cake was produced under unusual circumstances: only one was baked at a time, behind closed doors and in the greatest secrecy. But like most secrets of the kitchen, it eventually was found out, improved upon, and perfected."

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I just got off the phone with my sister. Looks like we're doing something different for Christmas this year. Instead of the usual turkey and stuffing and veggies, we're going with a mix: a ham, lasagna, casseroles, green bean salad, antipasto. Oh, and desserts. Lots and lots of desserts, including a half dozen different pies, brownies, cookies, candy, and other things. Whatever progress I made exercising the past few weeks is going to vanish, quickly.

But desserts don't have to be bad for you. This Food & Wine slideshow has pics and recipes for 32 different desserts you can make for the holidays and not feel guilty (well, not completely guilty anyway), including a Melon Sorbet, a warm Citrus Gratin with Toasted Almonds, Dark Chocolate Bark with Walnuts and Black Cherries, and Banana Souffles. Not all of the desserts are low fat, but the ones that aren't still have a lot of good things in them.

The site also has some ideas for healthy holiday meals from cookbook author Melissa Clark.

Find Christmas dessert recipes by Gail Simmons and Christmas recipes on KitchenDaily.

Angel food cake is a dessert that has relatively few ingredients, but takes a fair amount of planning. The light, downy-soft texture of the cake and fantastic flavor make it worth it, though, because you will never buy an angel food cake that tastes this good at the supermarket. This cake is sweet, moist and nearly melts into your mouth. Eat it straight out of hand or top it with strawberries, whipped cream or lemon curd.

To make the cake, your eggs whites will have to be separated and brought to room temperature. It is easier to separate eggs when they are cold because the yolk is much less likely to break and contaminate the whites. The best way to separate eggs is to use multiple bowls, breaking and separating the eggs before transferring the white to the rest of the whites. This way, a broken yolk will not ruin a dozen egg whites. When the egg whites are at room temperature before you begin to beat them, they will achieve a much greater volume, giving you a higher, lighter cake.