This light and fluffy 1800’s American creation helped Julia reclaim her love of cake in recovery. Made with the simplest of ingredients and topped with whipped cream, it was her dessert of choice for many birthday celebrations.

STEP ONE – Preparations

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F with an oven rack in the lower portion.
2. Take out 8 eggs to come to room temperature.
3. Get out a tube pan, a stand mixer, and a medium bowl.
4. Set up a cooling rack.

STEP TWO – Make the Batter

Ingredients:

1 ¼ cups egg whites (7-8 large eggs)
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 ½ cups white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup cake flour (or 2 tablespoons cornstarch with all-purpose flour to equal 1 cup)
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

Instructions:

1. In the stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites on high speed for 30 seconds until frothy.
2. Slowly add the cream of tartar and whip for 1 minute.
3. Reduce the speed to medium and slowly add ¾ cup of sugar and vanilla.
4. Return to high speed and whip until stiff peaks form.
5. In the medium bowl, combine the cake flour, ¾ cup of sugar, and salt.
6. Remove the mixer bowl and use a rubber spatula to fold the dry ingredients into the meringue.

STEP THREE – Assemble and Bake

1. Spoon the batter into the tube pan and distribute evenly with the spatula.
2. Bake for 30 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
3. Invert the cake in the pan and cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes.
4. Carefully remove from the pan and cool for another 5-10 minutes. You may need to run a knife around the edges of the pan first.

STEP FOUR – Make the Whipped Cream

Ingredients:

1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Instructions:

1. In the stand mixer, whip the cream on high speed for 1 minute until stiff peaks form.
2. Add the sugar and whip until combined.
3. Top the cake with a dollop of whipped cream.

Recommended Serving Size: 1 slice (⅛ of cake) with 2 tablespoons whipped cream

Exchanges: 1 starch, 2 protein, 1 fat