SERVES 12
If your tube pan has a removable bottom, you do not need to line it with parchment. Serve this cake as is or dust with confectioners’ sugar. See the sidebars that follow the recipe.
|
1½ |
cups (10½ ounces) sugar |
|
1⅓ |
cups (5⅓ ounces) cake flour |
|
2 |
teaspoons baking powder |
|
½ |
teaspoon salt |
|
7 |
large eggs (2 whole, 5 separated), room temperature |
|
¾ |
cup water |
|
½ |
cup vegetable oil |
|
1 |
tablespoon vanilla extract |
|
½ |
teaspoon almond extract |
|
½ |
teaspoon cream of tartar |
1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Line bottom of 16-cup tube pan with parchment paper but do not grease. Whisk sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt together in large bowl. Whisk in eggs and yolks, water, oil, vanilla, and almond extract until batter is just smooth.
2. Using stand mixer fitted with whisk, whip egg whites and cream of tartar on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-high and whip until stiff peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes. Using large rubber spatula, fold whites into batter, smearing any stubborn pockets of egg white against side of bowl.
3. Pour batter into prepared pan, smooth top with rubber spatula, and gently tap pan on counter to release air bubbles.
4. Bake cake until skewer inserted in center comes out clean, 55 minutes to 1 hour 5 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking. If cake has prongs around rim for elevating cake, invert pan on them. If not, invert pan over neck of bottle or funnel so that air can circulate all around it. Let cake cool completely, about 2 hours.
5. Run thin knife around edge of cake to loosen, then gently tap pan upside down on counter to release cake. Peel off parchment, turn cake right side up onto serving platter, and serve. (Cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerated for up to 4 days.)