The cooling process of an angel food cake is just as important as its baking process.
This is because, how you cool the cake would affect how the cake turns out.
If you do it well, you would end up with a light, tall, and very fluffy angel food cake. Otherwise, you would have a fallen cake.
This article contains all you need to know about cooling an angel food cake.
You’ll find this very helpful, so keep reading.
What is an angel food cake?
An angel food cake is a sponge cake made from egg whites, cake flour, and sugar.
It is a low-fat delicious dessert that combines basic ingredients with complex baking techniques.
The angel food cake is popular for its light fluffy texture which it gets from the beaten egg whites used in its batter.
It is also characterized by an inner whiteness that results from the absence of egg yolks in its preparation process.
Traditionally, no butter or oil is used in the batter of this cake. And this makes it a fat-free cake, great for calorie-conscious dessert lovers.
How to let an angel food cake cool
The success or failure of the angel food cake is highly dependent on the method you use to cool it.
While the angel food cake is warm, it is very fragile and has a delicate crumb, so any wrong movement can cause it to collapse.
As a result, careful attention is required during its cooling process to prevent it from falling apart.
During this process, it is very important to give it adequate time to cool; so it maintains its fluffy texture.
Also, it is essential to invert the cake while cooling so it gets proper ventilation and support for its weight; this would prevent deflation.
There are different methods to cool an angel food cake, but the major ones include: cooling it on a bottle, upside down, without a glass bottle, and in a loaf pan.
Cooling an angel food cake on a bottle
Angel food cakes are usually baked in a tube pan.
This tube pan has a hole in which the neck of a glass bottle can fit.
To cool an angel food cake on a bottle, firstly, you would have to fill the bottle to give it weight and prevent it from falling over.
Secondly, place the bottle on a flat surface to aid convenience.
Thirdly, turn the cake upside down, and put the neck of the bottle into the hole of the tube pan.
Then, ensure the mouth of the bottle fits perfectly in the tube pan and the pan is properly balanced.
Using this process, the cake should take up to 2 hours to cool completely, after which you can remove the bottle from the tube and the cake from the pan.
Cooling an angel food cake upside down
To cool an angel food cake upside down, the pan you’re using needs to have legs or a tall center tube.
These would serve as support for the weight of the cake.
With this method, the cake would be inverted and made to rest on the legs of the pan or the center tube of the pan.
The cake should then be left to cool for up to an hour before serving.
Cooling an angel food cake without a glass bottle
Cooling an angel food cake without a glass bottle can be done in two ways.
The first way is in a refrigerator and the second way is on a wire rack.
If you plan to use a refrigerator, follow the following steps: Firstly, bring the cake from the oven and leave it to sit for at least 10 minutes.
Once the sitting time is complete, the cake should be placed upside down in the refrigerator.
The cake can be left to cool in it for up to 2 hours.
If you’re using a wire rack, you should pick out a large one, invert the cake pan unto it, then leave it to sit for at least 30 minutes.
Cooling an angel food cake in a loaf pan
A loaf pan is a rectangular-shaped baking pan used for baking bread.
It has extended edges for holding which makes it usable for baking an angel food cake.
With a loaf pan, once the cake is out of the oven, it should be flipped over.
Afterward, each edge of the pan should be put carefully over a can or jar.
Before getting to this step, you should measure the distance between the two edges of the loaf pan so you know how to place the cans or jars.
This method should take up to 1 hour before the cake cools completely.
What is the best way to cool an angel food cake?
Inverting an angel food cake is the best way to cool it.
The reason is that placing the cake upside down helps it maintain its structure while it cools.
Irrespective of what you decide to put the cake over, you have to ensure it gets maximum airflow or ventilation.
Another benefit to this is that inverting the angel food cake while cooling causes it to set properly and maintain its height.
If the cake is cooled in its baking position it would collapse under its weight.
What’s in the angel food cake recipe?
Follow this recipe to bake your own angel food cake fast and easy:
- Preheat the oven to 325°F
- Set aside 1 cup of flour
- Beat 1 1/3 cups of egg whites, 1 1/3 cups of cream of tartar, and ¼ teaspoon of salt on medium speed until foamy
- Add 1 cup of superfine sugar to the egg whites and cream of tartar then whip until soft peaks form
- Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the above mixture
- Sift and fold the flour into the mixture alongside ½ cup of superfine sugar until well incorporated
- Pour the batter into a tube pan
- Bake the cake for 55 to 65 minutes
- Remove the cake from the oven and cool it upside down
- After cooling, run a thin knife around the edges of the cake to release it
- Slice with a serrated knife and serve
More related questions
What are the 5 main ingredients in an angel food cake?
The 5 main ingredients in an angel food cake include egg whites, flour, sugar, and a whipping agent such as cream of tartar, and vanilla extract.
These ingredients are the primary ones you need to bake a delicious angel food cake.
What can you do with fallen angel food cake?
If your angel food cake didn’t turn out as you expected, you could easily incorporate or transform them into other recipes.
To do this, dry them up and use a food processor to turn them into fine crumbs.
Then use the crumbs as a baking ingredient.
Also, you can make a fallen angel food cake into croutons, a trifle, or even an ice cream sandwich.
Can you use an angel food cake cooling stand?
The answer is yes.
The cooling stand consists of a metal frame and a wire rack.
When using it, place the cake inverted on the wire rack and then the frame over it.
Using a cooling stand helps the cake to cool evenly.
How long does cake last in the fridge?
Cake can last up to 3 to 4 days when stored in the fridge.
Conclusion
If you’ve been looking for a tasty low-fat dessert to enjoy, you might want to try baking an angel food cake.
Luckily, this guide shows you how and explains the various methods to cool your angel food cake.
This includes using a bottle, loaf pan, and other means.
That way, you wouldn’t end up with a fallen cake after baking. As a quick tip, ensure you bake your cake using the right recipe and cool it upside down.
