Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • 12 large egg whites, (room temperature)
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt, (or 1/2 teaspoon table salt)
  • 1 1/3 cups super-fine sugar, (see Notes)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest, (or zest from 1 lemon)
  • 6 ounces cake flour, (sifted (1 1/3 cups), see Notes)
  • 2 cups fresh berries, (for serving)

Instruction

  • Preheat the oven to 325˚F. Pull out a tube pan for the batter, but do not grease it. The ideal tube pan is one designed for making Angel Food Cake, meaning it has a raised center tube allowing it to be easily turned upside down to cool the cake without the entire pan resting on the counter. It also will ideally have a removable bottom. This makes it much easier to release the cake from the pan.
  • In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt on medium speed for several minutes until foamy.
  • With the mixer still running, gradually sprinkle in the super-fine sugar. The egg whites will transform into a soft meringue. This shouldn't take longer than 5 - 6 minutes. It's important not to whip the meringue to stiff peaks, so once the meringue becomes thick and billowing, check the peaks every 20 seconds. To do this, remove the whisk attachment, dip it into the meringue, and turn it upside down. The peak should droop over at the top, similar to whipped cream.
  • Once your meringue reaches soft peaks, add the extract and lemon zest, and whip for just a few seconds to combine.
  • Remove the bowl from the standing mixer, and add 1/3 of the sifted flour at a time to the meringue. Use a rubber, silicone, or other flexible spatula to gently fold the flour into the whipped egg whites until there are no more flour streaks.
  • Pro-tip: Be careful not to over-fold the flour beyond the point where it's incorporated into the meringue. Over-folding can begin to collapse the air in the meringue, which results in a denser, chewier, and flatter cake.
  • Gently scrape the fluffy batter into the ungreased tube pan, and even out the top using the spatula. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
  • Immediately invert the tube pan cool the cake upside down for at least 3 hours, or until completely cooled.  If the center tube of the pan isn't raised, allowing the pan to be free of the counter when inverted, turn the tube pan upside-down over a bottle.
  • When cooled, set the tube pan back upright.  Run a smooth (non-serrated) sharp knife around the outside edge and around the center tube to loosen the cake. Then carefully turn the cake out of the pan.
  • Serve with fresh berries, and be sure to use a serrated knife when slicing. This is essentially a meringue cake, and anything other than a serrated knife will pinch the cake instead of slicing through it.