ANGEL FOOD CAKE

Remember those left over egg whites from the TORTA recipe? Well nothing goes wasted. Here is what i did! A classic spongecake recipe i found on epicurious.com. Spongecake is thought to have originated with german settlers---a thrifty use of the many egg whites left over after making noodles.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups large egg whites (10 to 11)
• 1 T warm water
• 1 cup sifted cake flour (not self-rising; sift before measuring)
• 1 1/4 cups superfine granulated sugar
• 1 T ground ginger (optional)
• 2 t vanilla
• 1 t cream of tartar
• 1/2 salt

Special equipment: a 10x4 inch tube pan with removable bottom and electric mixer.
Accompaniment: sweetened whipped cream and fresh berries.

Preheat oven to 375 F

Procedure:

Put whites and water in a very clean large metal bowl and swirl over simmering water or a gas flame until barely warm.
Sift together flour, 1/4 cup sugar, and ginger 4 times onto a sheet of wax paper.

Beat whites on medium speed until frothy. Add vanilla, cream of tartar, and salt. Increase speed to medium-high and beat just until soft peaks begin to form. Gradually beat in remaining cup sugar, 2 T at a time, occasionally scraping down side of bowl. Increase speed to high and beat until stiff, glossy peaks form. (do not overbeat). Sift 1/3 of flour mixture over whites.Beat on low speed just until blended. Sift and beat in remaining flour in 2 more batches.

Gently pour batter into ungreased tube pan and smooth top. Run a rubber spatula or long knife through batter to eliminate any large air bubbles.

Bake cake in lower third rack of oven until golden and a tester comes out clean, about 40 mins. Remove cake from oven and immediatelyinvert pan. (if pan has legs stand it on those. otherwise, place pan over neck of a bottle.) Cool cake completely, upside down. turn pan right side up. Run a long, thin knife around the edge of pan with a smooth(not sawing) motion. Do the same around center tube. Remove outer rim of pan and run knife under bottom of cake to release. Invert to release cake from tube, invert again onto serving plate.

Serves 8
Serve cake with whipped cream and berries and some ICE TEA
COOK'S NOTES:

• Angel food cake was traditionally torn apart using 2 forks or a many-pronged cake breaker to preserve its prized texture; however sawing with modern serrated knife works well.
• cake may be made 1 day ahead and kept covered at room temp.