Recipe: Angel Sponge Cake

Angel cake. Note: it's not the half-eaten on in the back.

No, it's not angel food cake, but this is angel cake - search it up, or, for the lazy people, click on the links. Though calling this an angel cake wouldn't be completely truthful either, because the only resemblance between the two are the colours of sponge I chose to make. I wouldn't know how angel cake would taste, either, because I've never had it. I'm pretty sure it's not supposed to taste like strawberries, vanilla, and "orange".

Anyways, if you were normal, you wouldn't have a cake everyday. And I wouldn't bake a cake just for the hell of it either. Nope, it was my mom's birthday, and I remember the last time I made an awesome cake, she asked for one too. Well, that time has come, but I think I like this one better.

Why? Well, for one, I switched from genoise to actual sponge cake this time. I've been avoiding it though because I hate separating eggs. But because I did, it rose beautifully. Emphasis on the beautifully part.

Cross section

...or at least, every layer minus the bottom layer (AKA the "Fruit Loops" layer - guess what that tasted like) did. Once you break those yolks and it gets into your whites, it's all over. You're better off redoing it.

Angel Cake
Based off this recipe.

• 2 eggs, separated
• 1/3 cup cake flour, shifted
• 1/3 cup sugar
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of cream of tartar
• For vanilla
• 1/3 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup milk
• For Fruit Loops
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1/3 tsp orange zest
• (Yellow food colouring)
• For "strawberry"
• 1/3 tsp lemon zest
• 1/2 cup strawberry puree
• 1/2 tbsp milk
• (Red food colouring)

1.  Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and line your pan(s) with parchment paper.
2. Beat the yolks until its thickened and lightened in colour. Gradually add sugar then flour. Finally, mix in any extracts, liquids, zest, or food colouring you plan to use.
3. In a separate bowl with an electric mixer, beat egg whites until white and frothy. Add the salt and cream of tartar and continue to beat on high until it starts forming stiff peaks.
4. Swiftly fold in the whites. Don't mix too much.
5. Bake for 40 minutes or until it slightly springs back up when you press the center.

I don't actually recommend trying out the strawberry flavour combo, because you can't really taste the strawberries. But apparently the texture is really good.

Notice the other cake in the background of the first picture? That was due to dad taking "no duh" - as in, "No duh, that cake is for her birthday" - for a simple "no". Figures, I shouldn't have expected so much from a parent. On the bright side though, the cake sucked, and that made my cake, in comparison, so much better. You know what this means? I just beat out a professional bakery!