Angel Food Cake
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Made with just a handful of simple ingredients, homemade angel food cake is one of those timeless recipes that’s always worth making from scratch. One bite, and you’ll understand how it got its name.
If you’ve only ever had store-bought angel food cake, you’re in for a treat. Homemade angel food cake is in a league of its own. It’s tall, feather-light, and incredibly fluffy, with a delicate vanilla-almond flavor and a lightly crisp, golden crust. It has a reputation for being tricky, but it’s actually quite straightforward once you know a few simple techniques.
This recipe walks you through each step, from whipping the egg whites to folding in the flour, so you can make a beautiful angel food cake from scratch with confidence. Serve it with fresh fruit and whipped cream, lemon curd, or simply a dusting of confectioners’ sugar.
Why Is It Called Angel Food Cake?
Angel food cake has been an American favorite since the late 1800s. It became popular around the time the hand-cranked eggbeater was invented, making it much easier to whip the dozen or more egg whites needed to create its signature lofty texture. Its name comes from its incredibly light, airy texture, which was said to be “fit for angels,” especially compared to the rich butter cakes of the day.
What You’ll Need To Make Angel Food Cake
- Cake flour: This finely milled, low-protein flour gives angel food cake its signature light, airy texture. For the best rise, use bleached cake flour, such as Swans Down or Softasilk.
- Sugar: Sweetens the cake and helps stabilize the whipped egg whites.
- Egg whites: Fresh egg whites whip up with the most volume, creating the lofty texture that makes angel food cake so special. Skip carton egg whites for this recipe.
- Cream of tartar: Stabilizes the egg whites so they whip up with maximum volume and hold their shape.
- Vanilla & almond extracts: This classic combination gives angel food cake its delicate, nostalgic flavor. The almond shouldn’t be obvious—it simply adds depth.
- Salt: A small amount enhances all of the other flavors.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Combine the dry ingredients. Whisking the flour and part of the sugar together before you begin helps distribute everything evenly, making it easier to fold the mixture into the egg whites without overmixing later.
Step 2: Whip the egg whites snd sugar. Adding the sugar gradually helps create glossy, stable egg whites that give the cake its lofty rise. Stop beating as soon as the whites hold soft peaks with a gentle curl at the tip—overbeaten whites become dry and grainy and won’t expand as well in the oven.
Step 3: Add the extracts. Pour the vanilla and almond extracts into the bowl and beat just until the flavors are blended.
Step 4: Fold in the dry ingredients. Sift the flour mixture over the egg whites a little at a time, folding gently after each addition. Broad, light strokes help preserve all the air you’ve whipped into the egg whites, which is what gives angel food cake its lofty rise.
Pro Tip: If any of the flour-sugar mixture accidentally drifts or spills onto the counter while you are sifting, simply sweep it up and sift it back over the batter.
Step 5: Fill the pan and bake. Scrape the batter into an ungreased tube pan, smooth the top, and tap the pan a few times on the counter to release any large air pockets. Bake until the cake is deeply golden and springs back lightly when touched.
Pro Tip: Resist the urge to grease the pan! Angel food cake batter needs to cling to the sides of the tube pan as it rises. An ungreased pan gives the batter the traction it needs to reach its full height and bake up with its signature light, airy texture.
Step 6: Invert, cool, and unmold. Cooling the cake upside down is the secret to preventing it from collapsing under its own weight. Once it’s completely cool, run a thin knife around the edges to release it from the pan.
Step 7: Serve. Use a serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion to keep the delicate crumb from compressing. Angel food cake is at its very best the day it’s baked.
More Simple Cake Recipes You’ll Love
Angel Food Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup cake flour (see note)
- 1½ cups sugar, divided
- 12 large egg whites
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C) and set an oven rack in the lower-middle position. Have ready an ungreased 9-in (23-cm) tube pan with a 16-cup capacity, preferably one with a removable bottom. (Angel food cake needs to cling to the sides of the pan as it rises, so don’t grease it.) If your pan doesn’t have a removable bottom, line the bottom with parchment paper (do not grease it).
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and ¾ cup (150 g) of the sugar until evenly combined.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or in a large bowl if using a handheld mixer), beat the egg whites on medium-low speed (4) until broken up and foamy, about 1 minute. Add the cream of tartar and salt, then increase the speed to medium (6) and continue beating until the whites become opaque and form very soft, billowy mounds, about 2 minutes more.
- With the mixer still running on medium speed, gradually add the remaining ¾ cup (150 g) sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time, taking about 1 minute total to add all the sugar. Once all the sugar is added, continue beating until the whites are glossy and hold soft peaks, 2 to 3 minutes. When you lift the whisk out of the bowl, the peaks should gently curl over at the tip, and the mixture should look smooth and satiny, not dry or grainy. Be careful not to overbeat—the whites should still look soft and creamy, not stiff or clumpy.
- Add the vanilla and almond extracts and beat just until blended, about 10 seconds.
- Place a sifter or fine sieve over the bowl. Sift the flour mixture over the egg whites a few tablespoons at a time, gently folding after each addition with a large rubber spatula. Use broad, light strokes, sweeping down to the bottom of the bowl and lifting the batter up and over itself. Take your time here—the goal is to incorporate the flour without deflating the whites. If any flour mixture falls onto the counter, simply sift it back over the batter.
- Once all the flour mixture is incorporated, gently scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Run a paper towel or your finger lightly around the top inside edge of the pan to wipe away any smears or drips of batter. Give the pan two or three gentle taps on the counter to release any large air bubbles.
- Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the cake is golden and springs back when lightly pressed in the center.
- Immediately invert the pan to cool completely. If your tube pan has little feet, invert it onto them. Otherwise, carefully invert the pan over the neck of a bottle or funnel so air can circulate underneath. Let the cake cool completely, 2 to 3 hours.
- To unmold, turn the cake right-side-up and run a thin knife around both the outer edge of the cake and the center tube to loosen it from the pan, taking care not to separate too much of the crust from the cake. Remove the outer ring, then run the knife under the cake to release the bottom, or peel off the parchment paper if using.
- Transfer the cake to a serving platter, bottom side up. Using a serrated knife, slice with a gentle sawing motion. Angel food cake is best served the day it’s made.
Notes
- For best results, use bleached cake flour, which gives angel food cake its signature light, airy texture. Popular supermarket brands like Swans Down and Softasilk are ideal. Unbleached cake flour, such as King Arthur, will work, but the cake may not rise quite as high or bake up as tender.
- Fresh egg whites are best for angel food cake. Carton egg whites don't whip as well due to pasteurization, so the cake may not rise as high or have the same light, airy texture.
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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