Make a citrus Angel using grated orange zest which perfumes the cake beautifully, or make it lemon if you prefer and finish simply with orange icing for a less dressy affair.
Makes one 27cm (103⁄4in) round cake
Prep: 30 minutes plus cooling
Bake: 45 minutes
Oven: 160°c (fan)/180°c/350°F/Gas Mark 4
100g (31⁄2oz) plain (all-purpose) flour
9 egg whites (approx. 310ml/10fl oz)
Zest of 1 orange
11⁄2 tsp vinegar (malt or white wine)
220g (8oz) caster (superfine) sugar
150g (51⁄2oz) icing (confectioners) sugar, sifted
Juice from 1 orange
Zest from 1 orange (optional)
Angel Cake/Tube/Ring tin (pan) approx. 27cm (103⁄4in) diameter, 11.5cm (41⁄2in) depth
Stand / electric whisk
Chopping board
Glass beer bottle
You do need a ring tin/Angel cake pan to bake an Angel in – the structure won’t hold up in a large round cake tin. Ring tins are widely available but you could use a Bundt tin instead. If you’re investing in a tin a silicone one does the job well and takes up very little cupboard space too.
1 Following the same method as the regular Angel Cake whip up the egg whites with just the vinegar, omitting the vanilla extract. Once the sugar has been incorporated whisk in the orange zest.
2 Once baked and cooled mix together a glacé icing combining the icing sugar with juice from the orange, adding just a little at a time until you reach a thick, pourable consistency. If you run out of juice, add a little water. Pour over the top of the Orange Angel and finish by grating over a little more orange zest. Serve.