Chocolate Angel Food Cake

 This is so good from scratch. Really worth the eggs involved.  If you do not want to use up so many egg whites, the angel food cake mixes are wonderful. Just add 1/3 cup cocoa powder in the mix and voila, you have a chocolate angel food cake. Whatever way you choose, it will  be lovely.......

INGREDIENTS: 1 cup sifted cake flour, 3/4 cup icing sugar, 1/3 cup cocoa powder, 1 1/2 cups egg whites ( 12 egg whites at room temperature), pinch salt, 1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/4 almond flavouring, 1 cup sugar.

 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Clean angel food cake pan to make sure it is grease free. Do not spray. Mix all dry ingredients together in a clean bowl
2. Beat egg whites in a metal or glass bowl, till frothy. Add cream of tartar, vanilla and almond flavouring. Beat till soft peaks form. Peaks should be soft enough so they bend over slightly at the tips.
3. Sprinkle 1Tbsp of sugar at a time, over  egg whites, continuing to beat until stiff.
4. Sift about 1/4 dry ingredients over top. Using flat spatula fold into egg whites. Repeat till all the dry ingredients are combined . Do not stir....keep folding over and around egg whites.
5. Plop into angel food cake pan and bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes, till a tester  ( sharp knife) comes out clean.
6. Turn upside down on rack and leave to cool. The cake will  come away from the sides of the pan as it cools.
7. Cake is good like this, without anything else, but whip cream, or ice cream,and strawberries are really wonderful. Read on.....

 Slice cooled cake into three sections. Have ready sliced strawberries and real whipped cream. The fake stuff is yukky....only use real cream. Don't use the stuff in a can...it tends to be watery.

Layer cream and cake slices, pile on the cream, then add strawberries and chocolate shavings to decorate. I used piece of a Lindt bar that I had on hand. Use a paring knife to peel off shavings. Keep in fridge till ready to serve.  This is my ultimate favourite cake.