How to Bake Angel Food Cake At a High Altitude

High altitudes should not ruin an angel food cake.

An angel food cake, with its light and lofty sweetness, can make a simple and delicious dessert. Because angel food cake contains egg whites and cake flour and does not contain butter or oil, it whips up to be exceedingly light and airy. Pair angel food cake with fruit sauces for a low fat dessert. If you bake angel food cake at a high altitude, make slight adjustments to the recipe according to your altitude level.

Things You'll Need

• 14 egg whites
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. cream of tartar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• Granulated sugar
• Cake flour
• Electric mixer
• Large bowl
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Spatula
• 10-inch tube pan
• Bottle
• Butter knife

Instructions

1. Increase the egg whites from the standard 1 1/2 cups to 1 3/4 cups -- an increase from about 12 eggs to 14. Because egg whites and air are the leavening agents in angel food cake, using slightly more egg whites combined with more flour will help stabilize the angel food cake.

2. Increase the cream of tartar from the standard 1 1/2 tsp. to 2 tsp. As you add the cream of tartar and salt to the egg whites, beat everything carefully with an electric mixer. Add 1/2 cup granulated sugar to the egg whites, sprinkling it slowly and whipping as you add it. Do not whip the eggs past the point where they form soft peaks -- beating egg whites to the point of dry, stiff peaks may make the angel food cake fall in the oven.

3. Add extra cake flour to the angel food cake. If you live at 5,000 feet, add 1 tbsp. of cake flour to the standard 1 cup. If you live at 7,500 feet, add 2 tbsp. of cake flour. If you live at 10,000 feet, add 1/4 cup of cake flour. Combine the cake flour with sugar. Reduce the amount of granulated sugar you add to the recipe. If you live at 5,000 feet, reduce sugar by 1 tbsp. If you live at 7,500 feet, reduce sugar by 2 tbsp. If you live at 10,000 feet, reduce sugar by 1/4 cup.

4. Fold in the flour and sugar into the beaten egg whites carefully without reducing the egg white volume.

5. Pour the batter into an ungreased cake tube pan.

6. Increase the baking temperature from the standard 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake an angel food cake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 5,000 to 7,500 feet in elevation and 425 Fahrenheit for 10,000 feet.

7. Remove the cake after about 30 minutes, when the cake looks and feels dry and returns to shape after you touch it lightly.

8. Turn the cake upside down immediately after removing it from the oven, elevating the center of the pan over a bottle. Leave the cake to cool in this position for two hours.

9. Loosen the cake from the pan with a butter knife and pop it out of the pan.

References

• New Mexico State University: Cake and Mix Recipes for High Altitudes in New Mexico
• La Plata County Cooperative Extension; Altitude Adjustment; Wendy Rice