MOCK ANGEL FOOD CAKE

Sometimes I get obsessed with the idea of making old-fashioned recipes that I haven’t eaten or heard of since childhood.

Such as mock angel food cake.

Mock angel food cake was my grandma’s favorite cake. And one day I was thinking about it.. how delicious it was, how much she loved it, and how much the whole family loved it.
So I decided to make it.
It didn’t disappoint.

WHAT IS MOCK ANGEL FOOD CAKE?

Mock angel food is similar to angel food cake, but it’s more dense and chewy.
A typical angel food cake recipe can call for up to 12 egg whites.
This mock angel food cake calls for 6 egg whites. So it’s still light and airy – just not as light and airy as a 12-egg-white-angel-food-cake.
This recipe is made in a standard 9 x 13-inch cake pan.
I used cake flour, which helps make cake more soft and tender due to its lower protein content. But if you don’t have cake flour, you can use all-purpose flour.

WHY IS IT CALLED MOCK ANGEL FOOD CAKE?

Good question!
Mock means “not authentic or real” – so by that definition, this cake would be a non-authentic angel food cake.
My guess is that mock angel food means that this is a cake that looks and tastes a lot like angel food – but it calls for half of the egg whites as a traditional angel food cake.
Keep in mind, this is an old recipe. There’s nothing fancy or frilly about it. But it’s still a great cake recipe. One that’s been much loved throughout the years.
Check out my collection of retro recipes.

TIPS FOR SEPARATING EGG WHITES FROM YOLKS

Whenever a recipe requires you to beat egg whites until stiff, it is absolutely essential to avoid getting any egg yolk in the egg whites.
When separating egg whites from the yolks, I follow this process:

Get out three bowls
Crack one egg into one bowl, and carefully remove the yolk without breaking it
Place the yolk in a separate bowl
Pour the egg white into a separate bowl
Repeat with remaining eggs. If the yolk breaks and contaminates the yolk, discard the entire egg (or use it for another purpose)

FROST THIS CAKE WITH ALMOND BUTTERCREAM

My grandma would always frost her mock angel food cake with almond buttercream frosting. Here’s how to make it:

Mix 1 stick room-temperature butter, 3 cups of powdered sugar, a splash of milk or cream, and 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract with an electric mixer until smooth.

Check out this other delicious vintage cake with a funny name: Wacky cake. It’s eggless – hence necessitating a name like “wacky”.

MOCK ANGEL FOOD CAKE
yield: ONE 9 X 13-INCH CAKE
Avoid getting any yoke into the egg whites. Even the smallest amount will prevent the egg whites from forming stiff peaks.

INGREDIENTS

6 egg whites
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups cake flour
1 cup boiling water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teapsoon vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS

Beat egg whites until stiff. Add cream of tartar and baking powder.
Sift dry ingredients three times (sugar, flour). Add boiling water, salt, and vanilla. Wait 60 seconds to let mixture cool slightly.
Gently fold in egg whites.
Spread batter into an ungreased 9 x 13-inch cake pan. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

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