Best Angel-Food Cake Recipe

In large bowl, let egg whites warm to room tem- perature—about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375F.
Sift flour with 3/4 cup sugar; resift 3 times; set aside.
With portable electric mixer, at high speed, beat egg whites with salt and cream of tartar until soft peaks form when beater is slowly raised.
Gradually beat in remaining sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, beating well after each addition.
Continue beating until stiff peaks form when beater is slowly raised.
With rubber scraper or wire whisk, gently fold extracts into egg whites until combined.
Sift flour mixture, one fourth at a time, over egg whites.
With wire whisk or rubber scraper, using an under-and-over motion, gently fold in each addi- tion with 15 strokes, rotating bowl a quarter of a turn after each addition.
Then fold an additional 10 strokes; flour mix- ture should be blended into egg whites.
With rubber scraper, gently push batter into un- greased 10-inch tube pan.
With spatula or knife, cut through batter twice.
With rubber scraper, gently spread batter in pan until it is smooth on top and touches side of pan.
1Bake, on lower oven rack, 35 to 40 minutes, or until cake springs back when gently pressed with fingertip.
1Invert pan over neck of bottle; let cake cool completely—about 2 hours.
1With spatula, carefully loosen cake from pan; remove.
Serve plain, or frost as desired.
Makes 16 servings.