Like Sarah Palin or the Oakland Raiders, angel food cake elicits strong reactions; people either love ‘em or hate ‘em. If your feelings fall in the favorable category, you'll be delighted by this miniature version of the famous egg-white sponge cake. It has the same taste and texture as the traditional, larger one, it's just a lot cuter.

Light and delicate, with a texture that is soft, dry, and chewy, these little cakes contain no fat and no leavening; their volume comes from the air beaten into the egg whites. There are two keys to their success: (1) bringing the whites to just the right fullness, they should be glossy, smooth, and form peaks that just barely fall over when the mixer's beaters are lifted and, (2) keeping them there, folding the additional ingredients into the whites very gently to avoid deflating them.

While a shower of confectioner's sugar is often suggested as a topping, I think these cakes are best when accompanied by sauces, fresh fruits, and/or sorbets or ice cream. I drizzled a strawberry sauce over the baby cake in the photograph, but feel free to use any accompaniments that strike your fancy.

Where can you find the small angel food cake pans? I got mine at Target several years ago and have since seen them at the kitchen supply store in the Silverthorne outlets as well as at Walmart and other stores that carry baking pans and equipment.

Fat-Free Angel Food Baby Cakes

Adjusted for altitudes between 8,000 and 10,000 feet

Makes 3-4 baby cakes,

depending on the size of your pans

Ingredients

1/2 (one half) cup plus 2 (two) tablespoons of cake flour (spoon and level into measuring cup)

1/4 (one fourth) cup of confectioner's sugar

1/4 (one fourth) teaspoon of salt

3/4 (three fourths) cup of egg whites (about 6 whites from large eggs), cold

1 (one) teaspoon of cream of tartar

1/2 (one half) cup minus 1 (one) tablespoon of granulated sugar, preferably Baker's or superfine

1-1/4 (one and one-fourth) teaspoon of vanilla

Step One: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, with a rack in the center position. Don't grease the miniature angel food cake pans or the cakes won't rise properly. Prepare a way to invert the pans to allow air to circulate under them as soon as the cakes are baked. I rest the edges of each inverted pan on two drinking glasses of equal height.

Step Two: Either sift the cake flour, confectioner's sugar, and salt together onto a piece of waxed paper or pulse them in a food processor until airy and fully combined or whisk them vigorously in a bowl until airy and well combined. Set the mixture aside.

Step Three: Combine the egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, preferably a standing mixer, start on low speed and beat until the mixture is quite frothy. Increase the speed to medium-high (high if using a hand-held mixer) and beat until the whites are glossy and smooth and just start to form very soft peaks. Continue to beat, adding the granulated sugar gradually and, finally, adding the vanilla. The mixture will get fluffy and form peaks that droop rather than stand straight up. STOP BEATING BEFORE THE MIXTURE FORMS STIFF PEAKS.

Step Four: Sift or strain about one-third of the flour mixture over the egg whites and gently fold it into the whites with a large rubber spatula. Don't stir or mix or the egg whites will deflate. Add the rest of the flour in the same manner, one third at a time. Fold until no flour is visible. Spoon the batter into the pans, filling them about three-fourths of the way to the top. Draw a thin knife through the batter to eliminate any air bubbles. Gently level the tops. Bake directly on the oven rack (don't place the pans on a cookie sheet; they need air to circulate into the pan's center tube.) until the tops have risen and are golden and a tester inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean. This takes about 20 minutes in my oven but will vary due to pan size.

Step Five: Remove the pans from the oven and, immediately, invert them. Allow the cakes to cool completely in this upside-down position. To unmold the cakes, run a thin knife around the outside of the cake, pressing it against the pan to avoid cutting into the cake. Do the same around the center tube. Run the knife under the pan bottom, if it is detachable. Gently lift the pan off the cake. If your pan doesn't have a detachable bottom, tap the pan all over to loosen the cake until you can remove it.

Step Six: Optional strawberry sauce: In a food processor, pulse two cups of fresh, hulled strawberries or six ounces of frozen, unsweetened hulled strawberries with one-fourth cup of confectioner's sugar and a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice. For a thick sauce, stop pulsing when chunks of strawberries are still visible; for a thin one, puree until the berries are smooth. Taste, add more sugar if needed. Stir in a splash of Triple Sec or Grand Marnier, if you'd like. Chill the sauce for up to two days. Drizzle it over the tops of the cakes, decorate with fresh strawberries and serve. Vanilla ice cream is a nice addition.

This recipe was inspired by one in The Joy of Cooking.

Vera Dawson, a chef instructor with CMC's Culinary Institute, lives in Summit County, where she bakes almost every day. Her recipes have been tested in her home kitchen and, whenever necessary, altered until they work at our altitude. Contact Vera Dawson with your comments about this column and/or your baking questions at veradawson1@gmail.com.