Angel Food Cake

St. Louisans tell us that angel food was first made in their city. It became one of the country's favorites following the invention of the hand-crank egg-beater in the 19th century. Angel food cake is sometimes frosted but more often has some sort of sauce, such as a sweet fruit sauce or chocolate syrup, drizzled over it. Some people also like angel cake with fresh cut strawberries and whipped cream. From the Mississippi Valley chapter of the United States Regional Cookbook, Culinary Arts Institute of Chicago, 1947

• Ready In: 1 hr 5 mins
• Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 1 1⁄4 cups  egg whites
• 1  teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1⁄2 cups  superfine sugar, sifted (bar sugar or caster sugar)
• 1  teaspoon vanilla extract (or the flavoring of your choice)
• 1  cup cake flour, sifted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Beat eggs until frothy; add cream of tartar and salt and continue beating until a point will barely hold it's shape.
3. Gradually beat in 1 cup sugar.
4. Fold in flavoring.
5. Sift flour with remaining 1/2 cup sugar; fold into batter.
6. Pour batter into an ungreased tube pan (I use a two-piece tube pan) and bake 50 to 60 minutes.
7. Remove from oven, invert on a cake rack to become cold before removing from pan.