Martha Stewart Angel Food Sheet Cake for Striped Ice Cream Cake

Martha Stewart angel food sheet cake for striped ice cream cake turns 12 egg whites, superfine sugar and flour into a light, airy sponge in 60 minutes. It's an easy dessert for summer parties, birthdays or Fourth of July cookouts, and it's a simple recipe that bakes on one sheet pan.

Fold the flour and sugar into the whipped whites gently, stopping as soon as no dry streaks remain. Stir too hard and you deflate all that air, so the cake bakes up dense instead of light.

Martha bakes the batter as one thin sheet on a parchment-lined baking sheet, not in a tall tube pan. That way you can cut it in half crosswise and stack it with layers of ice cream, and it stays soft even when frozen.

Martha Stewart Angel Food Sheet Cake for Striped Ice Cream Cake

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Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Medium

Servings

12

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Calories

110

kcal

Whipped egg whites and a gentle fold of flour bake into a thin, tender sponge that pulls away from the pan once it cools. It stays soft enough to slice even when frozen between layers of ice cream.

Ingredients

• Vegetable oil cooking spray, for sheet and parchment
  

• 12 large egg whites, room temperature
  

• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
  

• 1 1/4 cups superfine sugar
  

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
  

• Salt
  

Directions

• Prep the pan: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 13-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray, line it with parchment, then spray the parchment too.
• Whip the whites: Whisk the 12 egg whites and 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar with a mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. Then slowly add 3/4 cup of the superfine sugar and whisk for about 3 minutes, until the whites look thick and glossy.
• Fold in the flour: Sift the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, 1 cup all-purpose flour and a pinch of salt over the whites. Fold gently until just combined, so you don't deflate them.
• Bake the cake: Spread the batter evenly onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the top is golden and set.
• Cool the sheet: Let the cake cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. It's ready to come out when it pulls away from the sides easily.
• Cut and peel: Slide the cake out of the pan, right side up, and cut it in half crosswise into two 8 1/2-by-13-inch pieces. Then carefully peel the parchment off each piece.

Tools for this recipe

• KitchenAid 5-speed hand mixer, Reynolds unbleached parchment paper, Checkered Chef cooling racks. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

How long can I store this angel food sheet cake?

Wrap it in plastic and keep it at room temperature for up to 2 days. Don't refrigerate it, since the chill can make the sponge dry and a bit tough.

Can I use regular sugar instead of superfine sugar?

You can pulse granulated sugar in a food processor for about 30 seconds to make your own superfine sugar. The finer crystals dissolve faster into the whites, so the meringue turns out smooth instead of gritty.

Can I make this cake ahead for an ice cream cake?

Yes, bake it a day ahead and keep it wrapped in plastic at room temperature. Then cut and layer it with ice cream when you're ready, and the cake stays soft even once frozen.

Do I need a stand mixer to whip the egg whites?

A hand mixer works fine, though it may take a minute or two longer to reach glossy soft peaks. Either way, make sure the bowl is completely grease-free, because any fat stops the whites from whipping up.

What's the most common mistake with angel food cake?

Overmixing when you add the flour is the big one, because it knocks out the air you just whipped in. Fold with a wide spatula in slow, sweeping strokes, and stop as soon as the flour disappears.