- 1 cup egg whites (around 8 medium eggs)
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. cream of tartar
- 1/2 tsp. almond extract
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 1/4 cups fine granulated sugar*
- 1 cup cake flour (or 3/4 c. flour + 1/4 c. corn starch)
- Beat egg whites and salt until foamy (with electric beater).
- Add cream of tartar and continue beating until stiff (not too dry).
- Blend in the flavorings.
- Sift together the sugar and flour 3 or 4 times.
- Carefully sprinkle the mixture above, 1/4 cup at a time, over the egg white mixture and incorporating everything together in an “over/under” motion without over mixing.
- Spoon into a floured but ungreased (this is important) 10-inch tube pan. Even out the top and bake in a preheated 325 deg. oven for 50 min., then turning off the heat and leaving the cake in the oven 10 min. more.
- Turn the cake (still in the pan) upside-down and slip over a large glass bottle to cool completely. Then run a knife along the edge of the pan and also around the hole and turn out onto a serving plate.
Dust the top with powdered sugar or frost with a strawberry icing (blend 1 c. chopped fresh strawberries with 1/2 cup powdered sugar in a blender: pour over the cake).
* For a finer texture sugar can be ground in a blender.