Angel Food Loaf Cake

I made a recipe this morning that called for 6 (!!!) egg yolks. I'm way to cheap to throw out all of those egg whites, so I turned to my go-to angel food loaf cake. I have a traditional angel food tube pan but it's way on the bottom of the stack of pans- besides, a loaf is just easier. It's very pretty to bake this in a loaf, slice it lengthwise into three layers and stack it with whipped cream and strawberries. Frost it with chocolate and slice away! Make your family love you forever. Or, you could just slice it and eat it standing over the kitchen sink chasing it with ice cold milk. Not that I've done that....but you could ;)

Angel food cake has the reputation of being fussy but I don't really think it is. Be careful not to over-mix it and you'll be fine. Another note, you're loaf will be much taller than mine. I had my "regular" sized loaf pans full of banana bread when I made this, so I used a really long bread pan instead. Same taste, shorter loaf. Just keep in mind that mine is short and squat and yours will be taller in the pan. Don't freak out when it happens!

Angel Food Loaf Cake 

• 1/2 cup flour
• 2/3 cup powdered sugar
• 7 egg whites
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup sugar

Line the bottom of a loaf pan with a piece of parchment, leaving the sides alone. Don't grease the pan, you want the angel food to climb up the side and have something to stick to. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Sift together the flour and powdered sugar. Sift 3 more times and set aside. In another bowl, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, salt and vanilla until the whites begin to increase in bulk and look like foam. Beat in 1/4 of the sugar at a time and continue to beat until the egg whites will hold a soft peak. They should still be glossy and not look dry. Sprinkle 1/3 of the dry mixture over the egg whites and gently fold it in. Repeat 2 more times until all of the dry mixture has been folded into the egg whites. Scoop into your loaf pan and bake for 25-30 minutes. The cake will be golden brown. Leave the cake in the loaf pan and turn it upside-down on a cooling rack to cool completely. 

This makes what I consider classic angel food cake. Slightly sweet, tender and spongy but moist. It's very, very good and can be used so many ways. Ever made french toast out of angel food cake? You should try it, it's really good. Serve it with fresh fruit and whipped cream instead of syrup for something a little different and very special. Maybe for Valentine's Day? Happy people have full bellies, why not let your family and friends fill up on angel food cake? It's easy AND delicious!

This recipe has been linked up to Little House Livings Old Fashioned Recipe Exchange