When my great-grandmother got married, she knew how to make exactly two things: fried chicken and angel food cake.

How these were the only two things she knew how to cook, we will never know, but the angel food cake was pretty convenient, given that it was my great-grandfather’s favorite dessert. All these years later, it is now my mother’s favorite dessert and her birthday cake every year.

Homemade angel food cake seems to have a reputation for being difficult or unapproachable, mostly likely due to its light, airy nature. Yet the recipe is really quite simple – you just need to understand what you are doing, and be gentle with your batter. Angel food cake batter is essentially a foam, so it relies on those little air bubbles you create when whipping your egg whites. Gentle folding will keep those in place. To fold in your flour, sprinkle it over the top of your whipped whites in installments; then, with a large spatula, cut down the middle of the batter to the bottom of the bowl and bring the spatula up the side, folding the batter over as you bring the spatula up. Turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat. This will incorporate your dry ingredients without dismantling the foam you have already created.

Also helpful: setting your oven to the correct temperature. Not that I set my oven 50 degrees too high the first time or anything…just don’t pay attention to that extra carton of eggs I went through making this…but DO pay attention to your recipe. *cough*

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