This Angel food cake is insanely soft and fluffy and melts in your mouth. It has a light marshmallowy flavor that will have you eating more than one slice! Top it with some stabilized whipped cream and fresh berries for a new favorite recipe.
Not all cakes need butter to be delicious! It’s bright white on the inside with a golden brown crumb around the exterior. This tall, tender, and timeless cake has a cloud-like crumb and light flavor, the perfect cake for fresh fruit. Making this cake at home is easy and you’ll love the result, perfect for snacking or an amazing dessert.
Table of contents
Ingredients
Egg whites are the main ingredient in this angel food cake recipe. There are no leaving agents, so the egg whites and sugar whipped into a meringue is all of the structure of the cake. A small amount of flour is then folded into the egg whites to make the cake. You can use fresh egg whites carefully separated from the egg yolk or you can use pasteurized egg whites from a box. The fresh ones will whip up a little higher, but I tested both and they both make a nice angel food cake.
Cake flour has the least amount of protein so it makes a really light texture. Also, you don't agitate the flour much, just barely fold it in and then bake it. This is what gives the angel food cake that spongy light-as-air texture.
Cream of tartar is an acid, a byproduct of fermenting grapes into wine. Its scientific name is potassium bitartrate, aka potassium hydrogen tartrate or tartaric acid. The added acid to the egg whites helps the protein stabilize, allowing the stiff peaks to hold up while folding and baking.
How to Separate an Egg
- Set up 3 bowls, one for the yolks, one to crack the whites into, and one for all the egg whites. The reason we have the 2nd and 3rd bowls is if you mess up and accidentally get some yolk in the 2nd bowl, it won't ruin all of your already separated eggs.
- Crack the egg on a flat surface and gently break it apart with two hands. Then hold it over the 2nd bowl and slowly move the yolk back and forth between the two eggshells. Be careful to not break the yolk. Once all the white is in the 2nd bowl, add the yolk to the 1st bowl and pour the whites into the 3rd bowl. Repeat until all your eggs are separated. Save your leftover egg yolks to make lemon curd or pastry cream or French buttercream. Egg yolks can be stored in the fridge for up to three days.
Making Angel Food Cake
- Preheat your oven to 375ºF. It's important that the oven is fully pre-heated before you put the cake in the oven, which can take up to 30 minutes.
- To ensure your bowl and whisk are clean, wipe them out with a clean towel and some white vinegar to remove any bits of fat that might be there.
- Sift together the first quantity of sugar, flour, and cornstarch into a large bowl and set it aside.
- Weigh the egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer with a food scale. Whip with the whisk attachment on medium for 30 seconds until they start to get foamy.
- Reduce the speed to low and add in your cream of tartar, salt, and vanilla.
- Continue mixing on low and begin sprinkling in the second amount of remaining sugar.
- Increase to medium speed and whip the mixture to soft but firm peaks. They should look glossy and moist and the peaks should gently fold over when you scoop them.
- Sift the dry ingredients into the egg mixture about ⅓ cup at a time and gently fold them together with a rubber spatula. Refer to the video to see how to fold properly. The idea is to avoid knocking any air out of the meringue while folding to keep the batter very fluffy.
- Repeat this sifting and folding process until all of the flour mixture has been folded into the meringue.
- Carefully pour the angel food cake batter into an ungreased tube pan (ungreased angel food cake pan). You need the cake to stick to the sides of the pan to help it rise while it's baking.
- Slide a knife or offset spatula through the batter to pull out any big air bubbles that might be trapped in there. Smooth the top with a spoon so the batter is level.
- Bake the angel food cake in the oven on the center rack for 40-45 minutes or until the top is lightly golden brown and the top springs back when you touch it.
- Take the cake out of the oven and cool it upside down for about 1 hour. Some tube pans have little feet that hold the pan upside down or the center tube might just be a little taller than the sides. If your pan doesn't have these options you can cool the pan upside down on a wine bottle to keep it elevated. Cooling the cake upside down helps the cake keep its volume.
- Once the pan is completely cool, you can slide a butter knife between the cake and the pan to detach the cake. If it's an invert pan with a removable bottom, you can push it out now or just give the cake a couple of gentle shakes to get the cake to come out.
- I like to dust the top of the cake with some powdered sugar and add some whipped cream and fresh strawberries but the possibilities are endless! This is easiest to slice with a serrated knife.
- Store the cake at room temperature for up to 4 days (without whipped cream) in an airtight container or covered it with plastic wrap.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can substitute 1 teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice for every ½ teaspoon of cream of tartar. So in this recipe, you can use 2 teaspoons of lemon juice. It can be left out as well, the egg whites just may not whip as firm or hold their shape as well.
Angel Food Pans - An angel food cake pan is designed specifically for this cake because it has flat sides to assist in the rising of the cake. It needs to stick to the sides of the pan so it can help it rise while baking. Also, the center is designed so that it can be cooled upside down and not disturb the top of the baked cake.
Bundt Cake Pans - These will not work for angel food cake because the intricate design will not allow the cake to release. Since we're not using any pan release, we have to cut the cake away from the sides and that's not possible with a bundt cake pan.
Loaf Pans - A 9" x 5" loaf pan can work, just make sure to not grease this either. When it comes out of the oven, turn the pan upside down and rest the handles on jars, cans, or cups on top of a cooling rack. Let it cool until the pan is completely cool (about 2 hours).
Cake Pans - You can bake this angel food cake recipe in a standard cake pan. Just remember not to grease the pan. You can put a circle of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan to help it release but don't put any on the sides. Only fill the pans halfway to allow for rising.
After your angel food cake is done baking, it needs to cool completely upside down to set the structure of the cake. If you turn it over then the cake will collapse in on itself as it cools.
Also, make sure that you do not overwhip your egg whites. They should be at nice soft peaks. Over-whipping your eggs can cause your cake to shrink.
If you're using pasteurized egg whites, yes. If you're using fresh egg whites... probably. Cream of tartar is basically citrus that adds stabilization to the egg whites and helps prevent your meringue from collapsing. So if you're using fresh eggs and really don't want to use it, you can leave it out. But it's going to help your meringue stay nice and strong, so I like to use it.
Yes! I love to fold some shaved chocolate into the batter as I'm folding in the whites, for a chocolate chip angel food. You could also swap the vanilla for lemon extract or almond extract, and add some lemon zest for a bright flavor.
Technically yes, but the airy texture of the cake will be different. It will be a denser cake and a less tender crumb, because of the extra gluten from the flour making it slightly tougher.
Related Recipes
Recipe
Equipment
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Whisk Attachment
Ingredients
Angel Food Cake Recipe
- 1 ½ cups egg whites (fresh or pastuerized)
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¼ teaaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup sugar first quantity
- ¾ cup sugar second quantity
- 1 ¼ cup cake flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
Strawberry Topping
- 2 cups fresh strawberries trimmed and quartered
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
Strawberry Topping
- Combine the strawberries, sugar, zest, and lemon juice together in a bowl and set aside while the angel food cake is cooling. The sugar will dissolve over time and create a delicious syrup!
How to Separate an Egg
- Set up 3 bowls, one for the yolks, one to crack the whites into, and one for all the egg whites. The reason we have the 2nd and 3rd bowls is if you mess up and accidentally get some yolk in the 2nd bowl, it won't ruin all of your already separated eggs.
- Crack the egg on a flat surface and gently break it apart with two hands. Then hold it over the 2nd bowl and slowly move the yolk back and forth between the two eggshells. Be careful to not break the yolk. Once all the white is in the 2nd bowl, add the yolk to the 1st bowl and pour the whites into the 3rd bowl. Repeat until all your eggs are separated. Egg yolks can be stored in the fridge for up to three days.
Making Angel Food Cake
- Preheat your oven to 375ºF. It's important that the oven is fully pre-heated before you put the cake in the oven, which can take up to 30 minutes.
- To ensure your bowl and whisk are clean, wipe them out with a clean towel and some white vinegar to remove any bits of fat that might be there.
- Sift together the first quantity of sugar, flour, and cornstarch into a large bowl and set it aside.
- Weigh the egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer with a food scale. Whip with the whisk attachment on medium for 30 seconds until they start to get foamy.
- Reduce the speed to low and add in your cream of tartar, salt, and vanilla.
- Continue mixing on low and begin sprinkling in the second amount of remaining sugar.
- Increase to medium speed and whip the mixture to soft but firm peaks. They should look glossy and moist and the peaks should gently fold over when you scoop them.
- Sift the dry ingredients into the egg mixture about ⅓ cup at a time and gently fold them together with a rubber spatula. Refer to the video to see how to fold properly. The idea is to avoid knocking any air out of the meringue while folding to keep the batter very fluffy.
- Repeat this sifting and folding process until all of the flour mixture has been folded into the meringue.
- Carefully pour the angel food cake batter into an ungreased tube pan. You need the cake to stick to the sides of the pan to help it rise while it's baking.
- Slide a knife or offset spatula through the batter to pull out any big air bubbles that might be trapped in there. Smooth the top with a spoon so the batter is level.
- Bake the angel food cake in the oven on the center rack for 40-45 minutes or until the top is lightly golden brown and the top springs back when you touch it.
- Take the cake out of the oven and cool it upside down for about 1 hour. Some tube pans have little feet that hold the pan upside down or the center tube might just be a little taller than the sides. If your pan doesn't have these options you can cool the pan upside down on a wine bottle to keep it elevated. Cooling the cake upside down helps the cake keep its volume.
- Once the pan is completely cool, you can slide a butter knife between the cake and the pan to detach the cake. If it's an invert pan with a removable bottom, you can push it out now or just give the cake a couple of gentle shakes to get the cake to come out.
- I like to dust the top of the cake with some powdered sugar and add some whipped cream and fresh strawberries but the possibilities are endless! This is easiest to slice with a serrated knife.
- Store the cake at room temperature for up to 4 days (without whipped cream) in an airtight container or covered it with plastic wrap.
Video
Notes
- BEFORE YOU START – For best results, use a food scale to weigh your ingredients. Converting this recipe to cups could lead to failure. Read my blog post on how to use a scale for more information.
- I'm using my Bosch Universal Plus mixer for this recipe, you can use a KitchenAid mixer with a metal bowl or a hand mixer.
- There is no baking powder or rising ingredient in this recipe. The only thing that creates lift is the egg whites, so be sure to whip them up to be super light and fluffy. All the air is going to give the cake its lift!
- Make sure you use a metal bowl to make the meringue, and that the bowl is super clean. Any grease will prevent your egg whites from whipping up. You can even wipe it out with a little bit of white vinegar to be extra cautious.
- Remember to not let a speck of egg yolk into your egg whites. Any lingering yolks could stop your meringue from whipping up.
- You can use pasteurized egg whites instead of fresh. If you use pasteurized, you MUST also use cream of tartar to help stabilize.
- The cornstarch in this recipe helps to keep the cake super light and fluffy and not too dense or "eggy."
- When folding your meringue and flour together, sweep underneath the meringue with a spatula and gently drag up through the center to fold on top. Be careful to never smash or mix vigorously, be patient!
- DO NOT GREASE YOUR PAN! Angel food cake cools upside down, so it actually needs to stick to the sides of the pan. This ensures that the cake doesn’t collapse in on itself while cooling.
- A tube pan is best to use for angel food cake. The large tube in the center helps bring some of the heat up through the middle of the cake, baking it faster and more evenly. You cannot use a bundt cake pan, but you can use a 9”x5” if needed.
Ravyn says
I made this recipe gluten-free by substituting both the cake flour and cornstarch with 5 oz. of a very fine gluten-free flour blend (rice flour, tapioca starch, arrowroot powder, and xanthan gum) and it turned out beautifully! It was a perfect treat for my gluten and dairy intolerant (we used coconut whipped cream) sister!
June Kowalczyk says
Made this today, and it was wonderful. I’ve always used my Mom’s recipe. Probably from the 1960/70’s. This recipe is a much lighter, and has a more tender “melt in your mouth” taste. Only time consuming part was sifting the flour/sugar and folding, folding, folding. But totally worth the effort.
Elizabeth Marek says
I totally agree about the sifting and folding! I always make a mess too haha. I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe!
Gina says
My first Angel Food Cake, and it was awesome. Not rubbery at all. I'll never buy an angel food cake again. There's no point after eating this one. So light and fluffy.
Elizabeth Marek says
Thank you so much!
Harmony says
Great recipe! Slight variation in three instructions. One spot days 40-45 minutes, other sir says 35-40 minutes. I'd say mine is slightly overdone. Wish I'd seen that 35 part. Darn!
Susana Lugo says
Hi Liz,
I’ve made most of your recipes and I must say, you are the BEST pastry chef ever!!!
I haven’t tried making the Angel food cake yet, but I was wondering if I can make it into cupcakes?
Elizabeth Marek says
I think you could make it into cupcakes
Ij says
I have made this cake 3 times in a row and it's always perfection! Everyone at work loves it. I use the separate recipe for stabilized whipped cream because that gives enough to decorate the cake.