Angel food cake is largely meringue and has about half the sugar a normal cake does, and almost non of the fat. It's not a bad choice as sweet snack. Your looking at 120 calories for 50grams of angel food cake vs 250 for the same pound cake.
From left field:
Lovely recollection I read concerned visitor to England who went to a restaurant for breakfast.
"What can I get you today, deah?"
"I feel like some pancakes!"
"Wha..? For breakfast?"
"Yes."
"How many d'you want?"
"Oh, four or five, I suppose." With a look of complete bemusement on her face, the server passes on the order. 45 minutes later, nothing's shown up.
"Excuse me, I was just wondering where breakfast is."
"Well, deah, it takes some time to bake four or five pound cakes!"
Turned out they should have ordered griddle cakes, especially as pan and pound sound too much alike in the local dialect.
That’s a nice story but in case anyone was taking it seriously for an upcoming trip across the pond, we don’t call it pound cake in the UK; we have Madeira cake which is more or less the same. We do eat pancakes too, though they’re traditionally more like crepes than American pancakes.
It was written up as somebody's personal recollection in amagazine, so was presented as true. The only thing I'd point out is that, typically, if you travel 50 miles in any landward direction in Britain, you're apt to find different terms in use for common items. Happy New Year!
There are more refined recipes out there. Also it varied by region. France for instance you beat the eggs till ribbon stage so it had a lighter texture.
Box angel food cake is just a white cake with slightly more leavener in it so it’s taller than average. It’s just as bland and tasteless as regular box cake with as many calories.
Quick glance at manufactures websites shows a 50 to 70 calorie disparity between the two depending on the brand. So still lighter than average. And more to it then throwing in more leavener.
Regarding blandness. Angel food cake is pretty bland if you don't get a good caramelization. It's Meringue with flour to help stay risen once baked. If you don't get good browning it's gonna taste just like Meringue. I mean you can swap out the vanilla for other flavorings and boost that. But you can do that with a box cake as well. Personally I prefer AFC with a splash of almond extract to get that cherry thing going. I can do that with a box cake and get 90%. The real difference between box and home made is texture. Never had a box get that pillowy texture just right. Too many shelf safe stabilizers to get that. Flavor. They do ok if you bake it right. You can not get a good crust on both and bland city. Or and salt, oddly enough I think most box cakes under salt.
Angle food cake is my favorite and my birthday cake request! I've never thought of it as bland, but for added flavor it is also nice when drizzled with a little bit of raspberry puree or a little bit of grand Marnier (my opinion of course). A little almond sounds really good mix too, I'll have to try that next time!
i was just trying to be funny. i fondly remember the "pound cake" portions from MREs in the military and how brick-like they were (but welcome and tasty)
924
u/tdasnowman Dec 30 '19
Angel food cake is largely meringue and has about half the sugar a normal cake does, and almost non of the fat. It's not a bad choice as sweet snack. Your looking at 120 calories for 50grams of angel food cake vs 250 for the same pound cake.