Re: What chemical reactions go on in the making of angel food cake?

Hi Blair.

Angel food cake is fluffy mostly from the egg whites.  You get a similar 
effect when you make meringue (as in lemon meringue pie).  I suspect that 
the egg whites consist of especially large molecules which can become 
entangled, trapping air.  Hence, you get a "sponge-like" fluffy cake.

For more on this, or other cooking questions, you might take a look at the 
book: On Food and Cooking... by Harold McGee.  It has excellent sections 
on cookin chemistry.

Please feel free to email me if you have further questions at 
weibelm@battelle.org.

Best Regards,
Mike