Angel food cakes prize qualities tried and true

Tag : golden chiffon

The bottle keeps the pan from touching any other surface while itscontents, an angel food cake, cools. The pan is upside down sogravity draws air bubbles that may have survived other bakingprotocol to the surface.
No. 501-800-70143's architect, 16-year-old Samantha Schroth isslightly nervous, even though she's practiced baking thisparticular cake at least 20 times. A legacy is on the line. This isthe same angel food cake that once-upon-a-time earned hergrandmother, Marion Wichman, a blue ribbon at the Outagamie CountyFair.
"It was always special to the kids," Darlene Schroth, Samantha'smother, Marion's daughter, says. The recipe is from a cookbook thatcame with the Sunbeam mixer Wichman bought in 1971. (Yes, it stillworks.)
Samantha has entered the cake before in the 4-H Junior Fair, whichis restricted to entrants 19 and younger. This cake, though, isdestined for the open competition, putting Samantha in the sameleague as much more experienced bakers, like her aunt, DorisKalbus.
Samantha and her sister, Lindsey, 15, spend at least 36 of the 48hours before the judging baking in the kitchen at their family'sGreenville home. They are fourth-generation members of the WideAwake Forward 4-H club.
As Samantha beats the egg whites for the angel food cake into stiffpeaks, Lindsey fusses over cupcakes she's decorating to look likesushi.
"She has her space and I have mine," Lindsey says. She also isentering a pumpkin roll cake and cinnamon rolls in the junior fair.It's considerably easier this year since older sister Danielle, 20,isn't entering. Not only is it less crowded, but Danielle, hersisters report, is a messy and not very accomplished cook. But shehas other redeeming qualities, their mother protests.
"She can make really good instant pudding," Samantha chortles.
Besides the angel food cake, Samantha is baking brownies, chocolatechip cookies, yeast bread and some peppermint cookies decorated tolook like barnyard animals.
The angel food cake is her focus, though. She sifts the flour fourtimes. She sifts the sugar, too, and is particularly careful aboutseparating the egg yolks from the egg whites.
"Everything is a science," Samantha says. "You get any yolk in itand it will flatten out like a pancake."
She carefully pours the mixture into an ungreased pan, which allowsthe batter to crawl up the sides to achieve the desired height.Then, she cuts through the batter with a knife nine times to breakup any large pockets of air. Samantha never deviates from theritual her grandmother taught her.
"I'm afraid of ruining it," she said.
A 35-minute vigil begins as she slides the cake into the oven. Thecake must achieve exactly the right height and right color. Aminute one way or the other can make the difference between goinghome with a ribbon and retreating empty handed.
"I talk to my food normally when I put it in the oven, and wish itluck," Samantha said.
While her audience waits, she passes out pieces of an angel foodcake she baked earlier. It is the consistency of creamy cottoncandy.
Two days later, the open class judging begins in the back corner ofan exhibit building at the county fairgrounds in Seymour.
Earlier in the afternoon, Samantha's chiffon cake and Lindsey'spumpkin roll cake earned certificates of merit, the junior fair'shighest honors.
Still, Samantha's anxious about the angel food cake in the opencontest. Aunt Doris and Grandma sit on folding chairs, with Darleneand Lindsey standing next to them. Samantha stands at a distancewith her arms folded across her chest.
Judge Judy Knudsen from the Brown County University ofWisconsin-Extension, examines entries for height, shape, color,volume, texture and flavor. Cookies from the same batch should beof uniform size, and not too brown on the bottom. Muffins shouldhave a rounded, but not peaked top. The objective is perfection.
"This doesn't have quite the rise I'd like to see," Knudsen says asshe examines a loaf of rye bread. "I think it could have stayed inthe oven a little longer."
She coaches cheerfully as she goes along, delighting in the colorof a loaf of bread, frowning over a misshapen muffin. If a cakelooks as if it's browning before it's done, put a piece of aluminumfoil over the top, she advises. Check the expiration date on youryeast. Mix blueberries with a little flour to disperse them evenlythrough muffins.
She comes to No. 501-800-70143. Nice height, she decides. A goodcrumb, she pronounces, picking at the surface. She plucks out atiny bite. "Mmm. Nice." The sides are the correct lightgolden-brown color, but she notices a few brown spots that mar thesurface. Samantha stiffens.
"This is a very nice cake," Knudsen pronounces. "Blue ribbon."
Samantha is relieved. Her grandmother is proud. The title stands. Angel Food Cake
10" X 4" deep tube pan
1 2/3 cups (about 1 dozen) egg whites
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sifted cake flour