Chocolate Angel Food Cake
12 egg whites
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cream of tartar
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1 cup sifted flour
1 tsp. vanilla
Add salt to egg whites in large bowl. Beat until foamy and add cream of tartar. Beat until stiff but not too dry. You may use your electric mixer for this part. Sift sugar and cocoa together five or six times. Sift flour twice. Fold sugar/cocoa mixture into egg whites slowly and carefully two tablespoons at a time. When sugar is all folded in, repeat with flour. Add vanilla. Place batter in Angel Food pan that has never been greased. Bake in 350 degree oven for about an hour. When done, invert and let cool completely before removing from pan. You will have to run a sharp knife around the cake and remove the side and then cut the cake away from the bottom of the pan. (I am assuming a two part angel food pan with removable bottom.) This cake requires patience. You really do have to fold the dry ingredients very slowly and carefully. It should take 20-25 minutes to fold it all in. I frost this cake with sweetened whipped cream.
Notes on the history: This recipe was from Carolyn's mother. That would be Craig's Great-grandmother. Here are Carolyn's notes regarding the recipe: "This is a delicious cake and I usually frost it with divinity frosting. It is really better after the first day and keeps very well. This is my favorite birthday cake. Even after I was married, my mother would bake this cake and place it in a box of popped corn and mail it to me on my birthday."
This has always been Corrine's favorite birthday cake.