Orange Angel Food Cake

Angel Food cake is not easy, I know. But this fluffy, decadent dessert is well worth the effort and sure to impress. Try out this orange-infused treat and let it speak for itself. The cake looks so simple and elegant, but eaters will be amazed by the rich flavor it holds in such a light cake.
Make sure not to use a pan with a non stick coating, and don't grease it! The cake is cooled upside down, so it needs to stick to the sides a bit.

1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1 cup cake flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/3 cups egg whites
1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 cup superfine sugar
1 tbsp finely grated orange zest (I recommend Naval oranges)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sift the powdered sugar, flour and salt 3 times. Then place in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until they are foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until the eggs turn opaque and soft peaks form. Gradually add the superfine sugar and beat until the whites are thick and shiny with fluffy peaks that droop gently. Add the orange peel and vanilla and beat just until they are blended. Sift 1/4 of the flour mixture gently over the egg whites. Using a large rubber spatula, gently *FOLD* the flour mixture into the whites. Repeat with the rest of the flour in 3 more additions. Gently transfer batter to an ungreased 10 inch diameter angel food cake pan with a removable bottom and at least 4-inch sides. Smooth the top of the batter with your spatula.
Bake the cake until it is golden with a crackled crust on the top and it springs back to the tough, about 50 minutes. Immediately invert the center tube of the pan onto the neck of a bottle or funnel. Cool the cake completely.
Once the cake is cool, cut along the outside of the cake to remove the sides of the pan. Then cut around the bottom of the cake and the center tube to release it from the bottom part of the pan. Invert the cake to a platter so that what was once the bottom of the cake now faces up.
This angel food cake is excellent with fresh fruit or a scoop of ice cream!

**Do NOT stir the batter once the egg whites have been whipped. The key to such a light and fluffy cake is that the egg whites are as fluffy as possible without being too much so. Stirring will deflate the air bubbles. Don't know how to fold? Insert your rubber spatula into the center of the batter and gently bring it around to the bottom and then up the side, to the top- bringing the batter with it. Turn the bowl as you slowly repeat this until the flour is incorporated. The key here is gentle- and not to over mix and deflate!
Recipe from Bon Appetit magazine.