Calling all cake lovers: October 10th is National Angel Food Cake.

An angel food cake is a light, flourless affair made with sugar, a dozen or so egg whites, cream of tartar (which increases the heat tolerance and volume of the egg whites) plus vanilla or almond extract and salt.

It is also a gluten-free cake.

Angel food cake is generally made in a tube pan and served with berries and whipped cream. But Martha Stewart makes a much more elaborate creation, perhaps the best angel food cake recipe concept.

Watch her prepare it in this video: a two-layer angel food cake filled and iced with whipped cream and berries.

For a variation, you can substitute banana slices or pineapple for the berries. For a lemony angel food cake, substitute lemon extract for the vanilla/almond extract and add lemon zest to the whipped cream.

Find more of our favorite cakes and recipes.

See all the different cake types in our Cake Glossary.

Try this recipe for grilled angel food cake.

That’s the equivalent of a glass of Tang instead of fresh-squeezed orange juice.

If your palate demands a gourmet version of mac and cheese, Cucina Fresca is ready to fill your freezer with four different varieties:

Read the full review, and start stocking the freezer.

It includes suggested toppings and mix-ins to make your mac and cheese even more gourmet.

 
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To make mac and cheese from scratch, there’s no better demonstrator than the buoyant and charming Marcus Samuelsson, one of America’s most popular chefs.

Chef Samuelsson grew up in Sweden. There he had meat balls with noodles, but didn’t discover macaroni and cheese until he moved to the U.S.

“You learn a dish, and then you want to do your own take,” says Samuesson. He tweaked the recipe into a hearty entrée: creamy, crispy and crunchy. “This is not a side dish, this is a meal by itself,” says the chef.

Samuelsson’s take on mac and cheese includes red onion, white Cheddar, Parmesan and toasted bread crumbs, a dish seasoned with garlic and marjoram. And bacon: “It just adds something to this dish that makes it smokier, a little bit saltier, a really nice flavor.”

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We recently read Marcus Samuelsson’s memoir, Yes, Chef.

It’s an inspirational book for anyone who aspires to cook professionally and for foodies who admire the work of fine chefs. For those who are early in their careers in any industry, it’s packed with many teaching moments about hard work and a can-do attitude.

Get your copy.