Light, airy, and naturally fat free, this dessert is perfect served with fresh fruit.
This homemade Angel Food Cake recipe is delicious, with a tender crumb and it’s actually pretty easy to make!
Would it be fair to say this heavenly cake is sinfully easy to make? Maybe it’s because the light spongy texture makes it the perfect cake recipe to top with fruits, whipped cream, and more.
A Favorite Homemade Cake
I love angel food cake. It’s a favorite light dessert after dinner. I love that this cake doesn’t contain any fat and that it’s usually topped with fruit and homemade whipped cream.
- Also known as ‘angel cake’, angel food cake is a classic cake recipe that isn’t hard to make from scratch. It comes out as light and fluffy as an angel’s wings!
- This recipe uses basic ingredients with the addition of cake flour.
- Whipped egg whites make up the base of this cake for the perfect texture while keeping it naturally fat-free. Lightly sweet, and perfectly delicious.
- Angel food cake requires a special pan but I’ve included an option if you don’t have one!
Best Pan for Angel Food Cake
If you bake angel food cake frequently, you’ll want to invest in an angel food cake pan which is a tube pan. A tube pan is not the same as a bundt pan.
The tube pan has smooth sides (instead of bumps or ridges like a bundt pan) which makes it easier to release the cake. My angel food cake pan also has little feet to flip it upside down as an angel food cake should be cooled upside down to keep it light and airy. The top is removable making for easy removal of the cake without damaging it.
No Angel Food Cake Pan? No problem!
While an angel food cake would bake up just fine in a bundt pan, the problem would be in trying to remove it from the pan. If you don’t have an angel food cake pan, use a springform pan and place an empty tin can wrapped in parchment paper in the center of the pan (more on baking it in a springform pan here). Weight the can with rice or beans to hold it in place.
Ingredients & Variations
EGG WHITES: The base of this recipe is made of egg whites that are whipped until soft peaks form (not stiff peaks). It is important that the egg whites do not come in contact with any fats (or egg yolks) or they will not beat properly. Ensure your bowl and beater are clean and completely free of oil. Cream of tartar helps to stabilize the egg whites, it can be substituted with a teaspoon of lemon juice.
When separating the eggs, separate them in a small bowl one at a time just in case one of the yolks breaks.
FLOUR: The perfect angel food cake is a science experiment and we find it works best with cake flour. Whisk the flour with powdered sugar before adding it to the recipe.
OTHER: Almond extract is the perfect flavor addition but can be subbed out for lemon, coconut, or rum, depending on the desired end result.
TOPPINGS: There are so many amazing toppings for angel food cake, it will be hard to pick just one! Sliced strawberries, a fresh medley of blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries, even a dollop of 10 Minute Citrus Strawberry Freezer Jam, Fruit Salsa, or some fresh Summer Fruit Salad all give angel food cake a new twist!
How to Make Angel Food Cake
Fluffy angel food cake is easy to make and it’s the best cake to master for providing a variety of dessert options!
- Separate the egg whites from the yolks.
- Beat eggs with a whisk attachment until foamy, per the recipe below.
- Add sugar and beat until soft peaks form, the tips of the peaks should curl on the ends.
- Fold in the flour mixture with a rubber spatula.
- Pour batter into the ungreased cake pan & swirl a butter knife through the batter to eliminate large air bubbles & ‘settle’ the batter.
- Bake as directed. Remove the pan from the oven & invert onto a baking rack. Let cake cool 1 hour before removing from pan.
Tips for Light Airy Cake
- Separate egg yolks from the whites as soon as they are taken out of the refrigerator. This ensures the yolk won’t seep into the whites, which will prevent best-whipped results.
- Once the eggs are separated, let the whites come to room temperature (about 30 minutes) so they will whip up at their peak.
- The mixing bowl must be clean and free of any oils, choose a glass bowl over plastic since even the cleanest plastic bowls will have some residual oils in them.
- Resist the urge to open the oven door during baking, this will cause the cake to fall. Bake the minimum time and then check on it.
Egg whites should be beaten until soft peaks form. When the beater is removed from the egg white, it should create a peak that holds its shape but the tip of the peak should curl over.
Serving Angel Food Cake
- Make a DIY Topping Tray and let guests top their own slice. We love homemade toppings like Lemon Curd, Strawberry Sauce, or Homemade Blueberry Sauce.
- Angel food cake is a perfect cake base for a visually striking, classic trifle dessert! Angel food cake is layered with any combination of fresh fruit and flavored fillings to make a visually stunning dessert in a clear glass trifle bowl! Here’s a list of our trifle faves to try: Strawberry Trifle, Cranberry Trifle Recipe, Caramel Chocolate Trifle, Black Forest Chocolate Trifle, or these sweet, mini Strawberry Mousse Trifles.
Freezing
One of the easier cakes to freeze, once fully cooled angel food cake can be frozen whole or in slices by wrapping with plastic wrap and then placing in a heavy-duty freezer bag for up to 4 months. Pop out a slice, thaw, and serve with your favorite berries and some chocolate syrup or Whipped Cream!
Crazy for Cake!
- Strawberry Poke Cake – fresh & fruity
- Grandpa’s Banana Cupcakes – a family recipe
- Lemon Blueberry Cake – so sweet & refreshing
- Coconut Cupcakes – with buttercream frosting
- Tres Leches Cake – deliciously sweet!
Did you make this homemade Angel Food Cake? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Angel Food Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups egg whites about 12 eggs
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup cake flour
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 325°F.
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Combine egg whites and salt in a stand mixer or bowl. Beat on medium speed until foamy.
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Add cream of tartar and continue beating until soft peaks form. Gently fold in granulated sugar and extracts.
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Place flour, powdered sugar, and baking powder in a bowl and gently whisk. Fold into the egg mixture ¼ cup at a time until incorporated.
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Pour the batter into an ungreased angel food cake pan. Use a knife to gently cut through the batter and remove some of the larger air bubbles.
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Bake at 325°F for 45-55 minutes or until the cake is golden and the cake springs back when touched.
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Gently remove the pan from the oven and invert the cake pan (cool the cake pan upside down) (see notes) for 1 hour as it cools.
Notes
- For easier separating, separate egg yolks from the whites as soon as they are taken out of the refrigerator. Ensure there are no bits of yolk in the whites.
- Once the eggs are separated, let the whites come to room temperature (about 30 minutes) so they will whip up at their peak.
- The mixing bowl must be clean and free of any oils or the eggs won't beat, choose a glass bowl over plastic since even the cleanest plastic bowls will have some residual oils in them.
- Whip just until soft peaks form. When you lift the beater out of the egg whites, the tips should curl.
- Resist the urge to open the oven door during baking, this will cause the cake to fall. Bake the minimum time and then check on it.
- Do not grease the pan.
- Many angel food/tube pans have little feet to cool the cake upside down. If your pan doesn't have feet it can be inverted on large bottle (like a soda bottle or vinegar bottle) with the top of the bottle in the hole in the pan.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Cake, Dessert
Cuisine American
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Recipe Adapted from two church recipes provided by Geislinger, Esther and Becker, Frank. “Angel Food Cake/Angel Cake”. Recipe. 60th Anniversary. Self published, AB, 1959. 12. Print.
Can you use liquid egg whites instead of separating regular eggs?
While they can work, liquid egg whites have been pasteurized and may not produce the same fluffy results as fresh eggs.