Almond Cake

Ingredients

• 10 egg whites
• 0.25 tsp salt
• 0.875 tsp cream of tartar
• 7 egg yolks
• 1.5 cup sugar
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1 cup pastry flour

Method

This is a chiffon-style angel-cake built on the separation principle: whipped egg whites provide lift and structure, yolks contribute richness and emulsion. The two are folded together at the end to preserve the air you've worked in. Start with 10 egg whites at room temperature — cold whites won't whip to full volume. Add a quarter-teaspoon of salt and beat until the surface is foamy and opaque, about two minutes. Sprinkle over the cream of tartar (1 gram, or 0.875 tsp), which stabilises the foam by lowering the pH and preventing the proteins from bonding too tightly. Continue beating until stiff peaks form — when you lift the whisk, the foam should stand upright without collapsing. This takes five to seven minutes total with an electric mixer.

Separately, whisk the 7 yolks with 200g of the sugar until pale yellow and thick enough that a ribbon of mixture holds its shape when you lift the whisk. Stir in the almond extract. This ribbon consistency signals that the sugar has dissolved and the yolks are aerated — rushing this step leaves graininess. Fold a third of the whites into the yolk mixture to lighten it; this isn't delicate work, so stir vigorously. You're tempering the yolks so they won't deflate the remaining whites when you combine everything.

Gradually sift the remaining 250g sugar into the remaining whites whilst beating. Add it in three additions, beating for a minute between each one. This staged addition prevents the foam from becoming watery. Once fully incorporated, add the almond extract. Now fold the yolk mixture into the whites using the folding technique: cut down the centre with a spatula, sweep along the bottom, and turn the bowl as you go. Turn the mixture every four to five folds until no white streaks remain, about a minute total. Sift 100g of pastry flour over the top in three additions, folding gently after each.

Pour into an ungreased 26cm angel-cake tin — the ungreased surface lets the batter cling as it rises. Set the tin in a larger roasting pan filled with 2cm of hot water. Bake at 160°C for 50 to 60 minutes, until a skewer inserted at the centre comes out clean and the cake springs back when pressed lightly at the edge. The cake will dome slightly but shouldn't crack. Cool inverted on a cake rack or bottle neck for at least two hours — inverting prevents the cake from collapsing as it cools and sets.