angel food cake cutter [eyn-juhl food keyk kuht-er] noun
Also cake breaker, angel food cake knife, angel food cake server. A specialized instrument that has long tines instead of a blade, used for serving angel food cake. The tines, which are usually cylindrical, are typically at least 3 inches long.
Angel food cakes are leavened by whipped egg whites and have a very light texture, and this tool allows you to cut slices of the dessert without crushing and/or compressing the cake, which often happens with a classically shaped knife blade.
Bakepedia Tips
These can be found through many housewares and baking supply resources and are also considered collectibles. You can find many vintage silver and silverplate versions online as angel food cakes used to be very popular and served to guests when fancy china and accouterments were used.
We recommend that you use this tool to not only cut vertical slices of your angel food cake, but to also use the flat, broad surface of the tines to transfer the cake to serving plates (as seen below). Also, for different types of cake, we know bakers who use this as a guide for their bladed knife. By inserting this into a delicate cake first, there is no crushing of the cake – then insert your blade alongside this tool and make your actual “cut.”
Top Image: Dédé Wilson
Bottom Image: Peter Muka