Aunt Rosa Mae’s Angel Food Cake {Wednesdays with Wanda}

I want to thank all of you who linked up to my Salad Party last Friday.  There were so many delicious new recipes that I haven’t tried before, but now I definitely will!

I laughed last week because I felt more like the author of a cooking blog than a decorating blog.  And for those of you who know me personally, you were probably laughing too.  :)

But Mom would have loved the Salad Party!  She LOVED collecting new recipes!  And believe me, she would have visited every one of your blogs last week and left a comment for you about  the recipe you shared.  And then she would have been eating some of those delicious salad recipes this week!

Today, I am going to share another recipe!

Oh my goodness, I may need to rename my blog to “Beneath my Cookbook”!  :)

I want to share with you a recipe that reminds me so much of my mom.  Funny thing is, this recipe also reminded her so much of her own mom, Nannie.

I have so many memories of my mom making this recipe for Angel Food Cake. She would start craving  a “little something sweet” during the day, and the next thing I knew, she had an angel food cake baking in the oven!  And then she would eat it.

And eat it.

And eat it.

She would sometimes eat the whole thing by herself!   Of course, she would always remind me that it was cholesterol and fat free. :)

Here is a funny story about my mom.

One day, before dad left for work, Mom made a cake and ate a piece of it.

Then throughout the day, she kept eating the cake piece by piece until the whole cake was gone!

She didn’t want dad to know that she had eaten the whole cake, so before he came home from work, she made another cake.  Then she  cut off one slice and ate it!  That way the cake looked the same as it did when Dad had left for work!

She actually ate the whole cake plus one more piece!

Oh, how I love her!

So here is Mom’s favorite Angel Food Cake recipe.  I usually scan the article, but I wanted to make sure everyone could read it, so I am typing it out below the picture of it.

Homemade cake can be angelic

by Wanda Long

Anyone who knows my mother knows two things about her — she’s an “angel” and she loves angel food cake.

Many years ago, Mother passed this homemade angel food cake recipe down to me.  The recipe is an old family favorite that was given to her by my grandmother’s sister-in-law, Aunt Rosa Mae.

Homemade angel food cake is fat and cholesterol-free.  Keep Aunt Rosa Mae’s angel food cake in the freezer for those times when you’re craving something sweet.

AUNT ROSA MAE’S ANGEL FOOD CAKE

  • 1 1/2 cups egg whites (10-12 large eggs)
  • 1 cup sifted cake flour or sifted all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • Pinch of salt

Allow the egg whites to come to room temperature (about 1 hour).

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Sift flour and powdered sugar together 11 or 12 times.

Beat the egg whites, pinch of salt, cream of tartar , and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form (tips will curl).

Add sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating on high speed until egg whites hold stiff peaks.

Sift about a fourth of the flour mixture over beaten egg whites.  Using a rubber spatula, gently fold mixture into egg whites.  Repeat, folding in remaining flour by fourths.

Bake in an un-greased 10-inch tube pan for 40-45 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly touched.

Invert cake in pan or rest the center tube over a tall-necked bottle.  Cool completely.

DON’T FORGET

  • Do not grease the pan.
  • Be sure to use clean, oil-free bowls and utensils.  Otherwise, the eggs will fail to beat well.
  • For a brown crust, remove the cake from the pan when completely cooled.
  • When using a hand-held mixer, use an up-and-down motion while beating to make sure all the egg white mixture is well-beaten.
  • Use a metal spatula or knife to cut through batter and release large air pockets once you pour batter into pan.
  • Before frosting an angel food cake, chill the cake in the freezer.  The frosting is easier to put on–and no crumbs!

VARIATIONS:

For a chocolate angel food cake, substitute 3/4 cup sifted flour and 1/4 cup cocoa for 1 cup sifted flour.

For different fruit flavors in your angel food cake, use the regular recipe but substitute 1/3 cup flavored gelatin in place of 1/3 cup of sugar.  Try strawberry, raspberry, orange, cherry, lemon–whatever flavor gelatin you have on hand!

GLAZE:

My daughter brought this recipe home from her home economics class.  It’s the only glaze I use for angel food cakes.  Delicious!

  • 2 tablespoons margarine
  • 1 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons hot milk

Melt margarine.  Remove pan from heat.  Blend in sugar and vanilla.  Stir in milk, 1 tablespoon at a time until glaze is of pouring consistency.  (Glaze will seem thin but will thicken while standing).  Pour on cake.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

“A Minute”

It’s the time it takes to smile, or to give a warm “hello”.

It’s the time it takes to say, “Well done.”

It’s the time it takes to sympathize–

or avoid calling someone what he “should be called.”

It’s the time it takes to cheer someone or make things better.

How much is a minute worth?

It’s priceless or worthless–depending on how you use it.

Author unknown.

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

Well, I decided to make this recipe for myself and take it to the ladies I work with.

I had never made this recipe before, so I was a little nervous about it.  I cannot tell you how many times I wanted to call Mom and ask her if I was doing it right.  And when it was baking in the oven, the smells that filled my house took me right back to my childhood.  Oh, the memories that food can bring back to us!

I thought I had one of Mom’s angel food cake pans, but I didn’t.  So I had to use my bundt pans instead.  I worried that the bundt pan wasn’t big enough for the cake batter, so I divided the batter into two bundt pans.  I wasn’t sure how much the batter would rise.

After I made them, I think I probably could have put the whole recipe in one pan, but oh well!

I also made the glaze with brown vanilla, so it is a creamy color.  If you want more of a clear glaze, use the clear vanilla.  :)

(BTW, the square serving plate was a Goodwill find for $2.50!  I use it all the time!)

Overall, I think my first attempt at Mom’s angel food cake turned out pretty good.  At least it tastes good!

How do I know?…

In honor of Mom, I cut out one piece.  :)

Today, I am going to share these at work, and think about my precious Mother (and grandmother).

Have a blessed day!

Traci

21 Comments

  1. Traci, I love that story about your Momma eating that whole cake plus a piece! too funny! Thank you for sharing all the sweet stories you have about your wonderful Mom. She is an inspiration to us all.

  2. What a great and well-honoring post.

    I’ve just recently had some homemade angel food cake (SO GOOD!) and have since wanted to find a recipe. Now, I’ve got one. Thank you.

    By the way. Do you know that you can freeze egg whites.; collecting them as you have a leftover egg white here and there? You can just keep adding it to the container or bag. I just learned this, myself, but haven’t tried it yet. I think it’s great to know considering that it would take up a lot of eggs just to get the whites.

  3. Your story about your mom eating the whole cake made me laugh…my mom shared a similiar story with me years ago. She was newly married after only knowing my dad for 2 weeks. He was in the Navy she met him when he was in Norfolk and they got married and moved to Illinois where he was stationed. While he was at work one day she ate a whole box of Cheezits, afterwards she was in a panic, “oh no he’ll think I’m a pig for eating a whole box…what can I do? ” She didn’t have a car so she walked to a convenience store and the only thing they had was Tidbits, she bought them praying he wouldn’t know the difference. Of course he never did, and if she had known my dad she would have known, that he would have never even noticed she ate the whole box, and even if he did he wouldn’t have cared. Amazingly enough they were married 29 years, he passed away at age 53 of a massive heart attack.

  4. Love the cake story! My grandmother didn’t bake cakes; she loved pies! She made the best pie crust I ever ate – you could eat it by itself.

    She also loved loved loved to make candy. She was from Alabama, so I always chuckled when she told me she was going to make Martha Washington candy – it was Moth-a Washin’ton.

    Cheers,
    Laura

  5. Wow, those turned out perfectly. I love angel food cake too. I will definitely have to try this. I have never made one either. And even though I didn’t participate in your Salad Party – I will definitely be using some of those recipes for some upcoming summer parties.

  6. I can’t believe she ate a whole cake plus one! Awesome story!

    While reading the recipe I kept thinking, “I only have a bundt pan!” I’ve looked for a tube pan at Walmart and Target, but they didn’t have one. I’ve got 3 bundts and since you gave it a try in one of those, I will too. Thanks for the recipe!

  7. I loved your story about angel food cake. My neice had a grandmother who was famous for her chocolate angel food cake. Growing up, I never had chocolate flavored angel food, only at her house! It was delicious. She used to mix all the dry ingredients on a sheet of newspaper. Don’t know why, guess it was convenient and didn’t mess up a bowl! I’m so glad you included instructions on how to make it chocolate! I will definately be making this. I found you can also make angel food cake in bread pans. Like you, when I got ready to make on for the first time, I realized my angel food cake pan had rusted. So, with nothing else to make it in, I divided it up in two ample sized bread pans. It worked! And when I sliced it, it looked like bread! LOL – Karen

  8. Oh, Traci, I love the story of your mom making two cakes! When I was pregnant with our fourth child, I would pick enough blackberries from our backyard to make a pie size cobbler. Then I’d eat the whole thing and clean up all the “evidence” so my husband wouldn’t know. I did this almost every day! Thanks for the smile today.

  9. Traci

    I just love visiting Wednesdays with Wanda! What a beautiful story and a beautiful cake! Think I am gonna have to try this for my inlaws who are visiting us this weekend. Thanks!!!

    Marilyn

  10. Hi Traci: I want you to know how much I LOVE your website, and look so forward to it each day to see what you have made, decorated or a new recipe, I can’t wait to try the Angel Food CAke,, I have those memories of that same cake that my dear mom would make for me on my birthday. Thanks, LUCY

  11. Hi Traci, this really made me smile…….when I got married many years ago to Max’s dad I was one stroppy little madame who wanted EVERYTHING just so – I had spied a DIVINE picture of an Angel Cake & I wanted it replicated………..no big deal you say, but here is the catch – my poor mother had it made & then carefully transported it some 8 HOURS BY CAR from the country to Adelaide, where we married – in the heat of summer too!!!! Oh yes & then in another mag – Vogue Entertaining I saw a delightful table setting done with hydrangeas (which I love) & decided I wanted mum to do the same at our tables at the reception. My mum is very talented with flowers. Of course, I wanted this when hydrangeas had finished flowering!!!!!!!!…….but my mum winged it soemhow with dried ones & it looke fab….don’t think I ever thanked my mum enough!!!
    When I married again 20 months ago, I was not soooooo demanding but my mum still came up trumps with divine floral table combinations for our courtyard reception & she had done special little take home cake packages in embroidered bags for guests……we ordered cream sponges for the day…….this time I thanked my mum very very much!!!!

    1. What a precious Mom you have! She sounds amazing! Those memories of sacrifices made by our moms make us love them even more. What precious memories you have of her love. Give her a hug from me!
      Blessings!

  12. ps – Traci you need to know how much your writing blesses my heart in times of trouble & reminds me to lean on God in ALL things…..thankyou, from this ‘girl down under’!!

    1. Aaaah, thank you so much! I love to hear this. My readers and their comments equally bless me right back!

  13. I loved the Angel food Cake story it brought a smile to my face and made me think of my Mom. It was her favorite cake.

  14. Hi Traci!

    I LOVED your tutorial on the faux porch tile, it was amazing. I found your blog while looking for ideas on “drop cloth curtains”. I didn’t find them on your site yet but you came up under the google search for them. :) Anyway, your blog is wonderful, thank you for all the info.

    We live in Versailles, not sure where you are but with the UK shirts that hubby was wearing, it made me think you had to be somewhere nearby. :)

    Have a great day,
    laurie eller

  15. Traci,
    I found a angel food cake pan at a garage sale this weekend and we have tried you recipe TWICE already! It is fabulous. I can totally see how your Mom ate the whole thing! I would too if i thought I could get away with it! Thanks for sharing such a great recipe!

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