The BEST Angel Food Cake

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of an angel food cake pan with parchment paper, but DO NOT grease the paper or the pan

Lay 2 large pieces of parchment paper on the counter. Sift together the flour, salt, and 1/4 cup of sugar over one piece of parchment. Place the sifter onto the other sheet of parchment, pour the dry ingredients back into the sifter, and repeat until you have sifted the flour mixture 6 times total. Set aside

Sift the remaining 1 cup of sugar over the empty piece of parchment paper and set aside

In a stand mixer (or in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer) beat the egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Beat on high speed until thick

Add the sifted 1 cup of sugar to the eggs 1 tablespoon at a time. Beat until stiff peaks form

Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and sprinkle 1/3 of the flour mixture over the top. GENTLY fold the flour mixture into the egg whites with a rubber spatula. Repeat until all the flour has been incorporated

Carefully spoon the angel cake batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with the spatula. (Do not tap the pan on the counter, you want to keep as much air in the batter as you can.)

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the top is golden

Remove from oven and place the cake pan on a wire rack upside down until the cake has completely cooled. (Turning the cake upside down prevents it from deflating as it cools.)

Turn the cake right side up and run a thin knife around the outside edge and around the tube to release the cake from the pan. Press the bottom of the pan to lift the cake from the outer wall. Turn the cake over onto a serving plate or cake stand. Lift the base/tube part of the pan away and gently pull off the parchment paper

Add the heavy cream to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or pour it into a large mixing bowl. Beat on medium-high speed until the cream begins to thicken

Pour in the vanilla and powdered sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. (Be careful not to overwhisk or you'll make butter.)

Cut the cake into slices. Serve on a plate topped with whipped cream and fresh strawberries for serving, if desired