Mini Angel Food Cakes

On Saturday I took a trip to one of my favorite places. The Farmer's Market. I bought 2 watermelons, a cantelope, a honeydew melon, apples, bananas, potatoes and strawberries all for $11. That's right. It's a magical place. I bought 2 cartons of delicious strawberries, and I said to myself "It's time to learn how to make angel food cake!"

It was always my favorite cake growing up. I'd ask for it every birthday. Angel food cake topped with whipped cream and strawberries. And that's what I attempted to make today.

I found the recipe on one of my regular go-to sites. Allrecipes.com It had gotten 5 stars out of 140-something reviews, so I knew I couldn't go wrong with it.

INGREDIENTS


* 12 eggs
* 1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
* 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. Separate eggs; discard yolks or refrigerate for another use. Measure egg whites, adding or removing whites as needed to equal 1-1/2 cups. Place in a mixing bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, sift confectioners' sugar and flour together three times; set aside. Add cream of tartar, extracts and salt to egg whites; beat on high speed. Gradually add sugar, beating until sugar is dissolved and stiff peaks form. Fold in flour mixture, 1/4 cup at a time. Gently spoon into an ungreased 10-in. tube pan. Cut through batter with a knife to remove air pockets. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Immediately invert pan; cool completely before removing cake from pan.

I had my plan. And I began to bake!

I seperated my eggs.


It didn't take a full 12 eggs to make 1 1/2 cups.
Then I sifted the flour and sugar together tres times.



Basically it was all going wonderfully until I turned on my mixer to beat the eggs. Then Kate started to cry.

Lately loud noises like my hair dryer and the vacuum scare her. Today, it was my hand mixer. I beat the eggs. She cried. I continued beating the eggs. She cried harder. I felt like a horrible mom, but I had to get those peaks to form!

After they did I quickly folded in the flour and proceeded to spoon the batter into the pans. I overlooked the part in the recipe where it says "fold in flour mixture 1/4 cup at a time" so it took me awhile to get it all mixed. So I messed up a little there.

One of the reviewers on allrecipes said that they had put their batter into muffin tins instead of a tube pan. I thought "Great! That's perfect because I don't have a tube pan" Well, after I spooned the batter into my large muffin tin, there was still a lot of batter left! So I spooned the rest into a 9 inch cake pan. I should have gotten out my little muffin tin, but hey-- there was a crying baby! It was very distracting.

I also overlooked the part in the recipe where it says "cut through batter with a knife to remove air pockets". Oops. That turned out to be important too.

Even with all the mistakes I think they turned out wonderful. Next time I make them I'll just be sure to either buy a tube pan, or buy another large muffin tin so I don't have my weird little round cake. Oh- and I will make sure Dustin is home to watch the crying baby.