Angel Food Cake is a cloud of perfectly sweetened, beautifully light, and airy sponge cake, making an easy go-to dessert for all occasions. Unlike the underwhelming store-bought versions, this recipe unlocks its true potential as a show-stopping, delicious dessert with endless options for topping and serving.
As a kid, I always loved angel food cake. The tempting sweet smell, crackly outside, and the white, fluffy inside drew my eyes to wherever it was on the dessert table. Topped with a big scoop of whipped cream and some berries, and I was in heaven.
Every time I go food shopping, I see angel food cake prominently displayed. But homemade is 200% better because you can customize it to your tastes. And the minimal effort required is totally worth making this crowd-pleaser from scratch.
The Magic of Angel Food Cake
This desert is a meringue-based sponge cake that is so light it practically floats into your mouth. It doesn’t have any chemical leavening agents because its pillowy texture comes from the air you whip into the batter. This cake is simple and pairs well with fruits and berries. As long as you have a carton of eggs and a few pantry items, you can make this cake any time.
Recipe Ingredients
- Egg Whites– Once separated from the yolks, you can turn them into a meringue by whipping them with sugar. This creates a light and fluffy cake.
- Cream of Tartar – A mild acid stabilizes the egg whites while beating them into a stiff peak for the meringue.
- Sugar – White sugar makes a whiter cake. The finer, the better for this recipe because we don’t want anything to weigh down our cake.
- Cake Flour – Unlike all-purpose flour, it is finely milled and delicate with low protein content. It’s perfect for a fine crumb and a good rise. No cake flour? You can use all-purpose flour by replacing 2 tablespoons of the flour with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and sifting the mixture 3-4 times. It’s not quite the same, but it works.
- Vanilla Extract – The creamy flavor ramps up the cake’s melt-in-your-mouth experience. And, of course, homemade vanilla extract is better.
How to Make Angel Food Cake
Prepare the Batter
- Separate Eggs – While the eggs are still cold, separate the yolks from the whites. Then let the whites come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before beating. (Photo 1)
- Grind the Sugar – Add sugar and salt to a food processor and grind until it turns into powder.
- Prepare Dry Ingredients – Reserve ¾ cup powdered sugar and whisk the rest into the flour. Set aside. (Photo 2)
- Beat the Egg Whites – Start beating the egg whites with an electric mixer at medium-low speed until frothy, about 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium-high and slowly add the reserved sugar (about 2-3 tablespoons at a time), making sure sugar is thoroughly mixed. (Photos 3-4)
- Keep Beating until soft peaks form, about 6-7 minutes. Do not overbeat. Add vanilla, lemon juice, and almond extract and mix until incorporated. (Photos 5-6)
- Combine – Switch to a rubber spatula and start incorporating the flour mixture into the egg white mixture in 3-4 additions, folding gently with each addition until incorporated.
Bake the Cake
- Final Stretch – Scrape the mixture into a 12-cup ungreased tube pan. (Photo 7)
- Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40-45 minutes. Start checking after 40 minutes. It is okay to have some cracks. (Photo 8)
- Cool – Let the cake cool on a cooling rack upside down for about 1-2 hours before removing it from the pan.
- Remove From Pan – To remove the cake, unmold and run a knife around the edge inside the pan. Place it on a platter, and serve it with lemon curd and fresh fruit.
Recipe Variations
- Flavor Explosion – Add almond, lemon, or orange extract if you want to add incredible flavor to your cake. Yum!
- Gluten-Free – You can replace the flour with gluten-free cake flour, and it will turn out great.
Tips and Tricks
- Separate the eggs when they’re cold, then let the whites come to room temperature before beating them.
- Lightly grind your sugar in a food processor. You want it finer than granulated but not as fine as powdered sugar.
- Be gentle with the batter because air is the key to the perfect angel food cake.
Make-Ahead Instructions
You can make this a day before, and it’s best enjoyed fresh within a day or two. Keep angel food cake in an airtight container, so it doesn’t dry out.
Serving and Storage
Take a generous slice of room-temperature angel food cake and top it with fresh fruit like berries or peaches. Or you can slice up fresh fruit and add a spoonful or two of sugar to get them to release their juices for a sweet fruity syrup to drizzle on top. A dollop of fresh homemade whipped cream doesn’t hurt either.
Store leftover angel food cake in an airtight container at room temperature for a day, a week in the fridge, or four months in the freezer.
FAQs
Is it necessary to cool angel food upside down?
When the cake is still hot, it can fall quite easily. Turning it upside down keeps that from happening until it firms up.
As long as you leave it upside down to cool, it shouldn’t collapse. So if you have to bake and run, there’s no problem.
Overmixing the batter is usually the culprit. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, then gently fold in the flour. Overmixing causes the meringue to deflate and toughen the cake.
What to Serve With Angel Food Cake
This deliciousness is awesome on its own, topped with homemade whipped cream and a cup of coffee. But if you want the complete package, grilled lamb chops or smoked pork tenderloin with roasted potatoes and carrots and sauteed Brussels sprouts is a hearty meal fit for a king.
More Fabulicious Cake Recipes to Try
Conclusion
Angel food cake is fun to make, even for beginners. And experienced bakers will impress their families with its elegance. Would you like more comfort food recipes? Then sign up for my newsletter to get the latest and greatest recipes.❤️
Watch How to Make It
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Angel Food Cake
Ingredients
- 1⅓-1½ cups egg whites, about 11 large eggs
- 1½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1⅔ cups sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup cake flour
- 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325℉/163℃.
- Separate the eggs immediately after removing them from the fridge to prevent egg yolks from breaking and getting in the egg whites.
- Place egg whites in a large bowl or stand mixer bowl; let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Add cream of tartar.
- Add sugar and salt to a food processor and grind until it turns into powder.
- Reserve ¾ cup powdered sugar and add the rest to the flour. Whisk flour. Set aside.
- Start beating the egg whites with an electric mixer at medium-low speed until frothy, about 1 minute.
- Increase speed to medium-high and slowly add the reserved sugar (about 2-3 tablespoons at a time), making sure sugar is thoroughly mixed.
- Keep beating until soft peaks form, about 6-7 minutes. Do not overbeat. Add vanilla, lemon juice, and almond extract and mix until incorporated.
- Switch to a rubber spatula and start incorporating the flour mixture into the egg white mixture in 3-4 additions, folding gently with each addition until incorporated.
- Scrape the mixture into a 12-cup ungreased tube pan.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40-45 minutes. Start checking after 40 minutes. It is okay to have some cracks.
- Let the cake cool on a cooling rack for about 1-2 hours before removing it from the pan.
- To remove the cake, unmold and run a knife around the edge inside the pan. Place it on a platter, and serve it with lemon curd and fresh fruit.
Tips & Notes:
- Separate the eggs when they’re cold, then let the whites come to room temperature before beating them.
- Lightly grind your sugar in a food processor. You want it finer than granulated but not as fine as powdered sugar.
- Be gentle with the batter because air is the key to the perfect angel food cake.
- Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
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