Stiff peaks?

Stiff peaks?

• 8.15.2011

I like to think I'm a moderately adventurous cook. I am willing to try new foods, spices, techniques, etc - but I'm really weary of things where I can't "tell" what I'm doing.

Enter "Angel Food Cake".

Last Monday, it was my parents 30th anniversary and it was also the same day that they were getting home from vacation in Ireland {copycats, because Baby Sister and I went there last year}. So we wanted to keep the meal nice and light ... on the off chance that they would fall asleep in their salad. I of course made some of my grilled prosciutto pizza and added a strawberry feta arugula salad. Delish.

But for dessert.... it was angel food cake. I like to think I'm a pretty good cook. I can read a recipe and follow it pretty well, but angel food cake was stressful.

Here are few of the steps that I found stressful:

1. exactly 1.5 cups of egg whites.... at room temperature. If I use fresh eggs that have been sitting on the counter, is that room temperature? Does the shell keep them "warm"? I'll just let them rest for 15 minutes.
2. sift confectioners sugar and flour three times. why three? I don't sift anything. I wonder how important this is.
3. beat until stiff peaks. I feel like I'm not getting stiff peaks. Should I add more sugar? Normally I add ingredients whenever I want and however much I want. How important are these stiff peaks?
4. Fold in flour mixture. This bowl is officially too small. I don't feel like I know how to "fold" or like if I did, I'd be able to in this small bowl. Time to get a bigger bowl.
5.  Gently spoon into an ungreased pan. Shit, I already greased this pan. Can't be too important. Is it possible to aggressively spoon? How does this not seem folded/mixed well?
6. Cut batter to get rid of air pockets. How can I tell if I've cut all the air pockets? Is it possible to cut too much?
7. Bake until cake springs back when lightly touched. Really? This is the test? Shit. I forgot to set the timer, so I really have no idea when this is going to be done.

So, perhaps you can tell how anxious I was making this healthy dessert. But spoiler alert... it was delish. Here are some pictures so you can be jealous and wish you were here as well. I'd definitely make this cake again since it was so great. Plus I feel like it has negative calories or something really great like that. Fine, I made that part up but it was still really great.

Enjoy.

Super full bowl. Partially "folded".

Cutting out the air bubbles. I still don't know if I did this right.

Tasty delight.