8 medium eggs, separated*
1/2 cup all-purpose vegetable oil
1 cup orange juice
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Icing sugar for dusting




*If one does not have 8 "medium" eggs on hand, 6 "extra large" eggs can be used.

Preheat oven to 350 degree F.

Beat egg whites with cream of tartar till stiff.

In a separate bowl mix egg yokes and sugar until a pale yellow but not too creamy (about three minutes using an electric blender).

Add oil to the egg and sugar mixture.

Add orange juice to the mixture.

Add flour and mix well.

Add baking powder.

Fold in the beaten egg whites to the mixture.

Pour the batter into a non-greased "angle cake" baking pan.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree for about 50 minutes to an hour (Insert a skewer into the cake, if it comes out clean it is ready).

Cool upside down.



Dust with icing sugar before serving.

This was my late Zia Nunziatina's recipe. It's possible she did not learn it in Italy, but picked it up in Montreal from an Italian neighbor (also from the South). Still, because she did it for over thirty years, I've come to think of this recipe as hers. In any case my other aunt, Zia Rosina, says that in our hometown of Casacalenda a similar sponge cake was made; it was generally layered and filled with Italian custard. In Canada the cake is often layered with ice cream and then frozen. It is served "frozen" as an "ice cream cake." Frankly, I love this cake, not only because my late aunt used to make it, but because the cake is easy to make and it tastes great. As it is a tall cake, it also looks good. One more thing -- everyone in my family who makes this cakes follows the recipe as given and achieves success. Personally, I found that using 7 medium eggs rather than 8, works better (But that could just be me). Also, when I don't have medium eggs I use 6 extra large eggs and that seems to be O.K. too. Everyone I know insists that the angel cake pan shouldn't be greased, but that doesn't seem to help the cakes I make any. So, I grease my pan, even though no one else does. My relatives follow the recipe to the letter and their cakes turn out really well. Why mine don't is hard to say. As my mother is fond of saying, "What you get, all depends on what kind of stove you have, the type of pan you have, the weather...." The variables (as well as the skill of the baker) can make a huge difference, and often, not for the better. Photo: Mary Melfi.

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