Angel Food Cake is a light and airy cake that‘s an absolutely delicious blank canvas for all of your favorite toppings! Made from scratch and out of the oven in less than an hour!
Use this Angel Food Cake to enjoy with my Easy Strawberry Shortcake Recipe that’s topped with easy-to-make Perfect Homemade Whipped Cream for a great summertime treat!
This Angel Food Cake (From Scratch) is a lightly sweet, fluffy, and moist dessert that’s great for covering in fresh fruit and Homemade Whipped Cream! Make a fun little dessert spread when entertaining friends by setting out slices of this cake and whipped cream along with blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and sliced bananas!
Then let guests decide how to enjoy their treat, I guarantee they’ll love it so much that they go back for seconds! Don’t underestimate this tasty tall sponge cake though because it can also easily pass for a stand-alone snack by just sprinkling some powdered sugar over the top!
You can also cover the Angel Food Cake in an Easy Homemade Strawberry Sauce Topping, Chocolate Ganache, or even your favorite glaze recipe! Regardless if you enjoy it plain or dressed up, one taste of this Homemade Angel Food Cake will make it SO easy to pass up the premade store-bought stuff any day!
Ingredient Notes
This Angel Food Cake Recipe is made out of ingredients you likely already have on hand in the pantry! To make one you’ll need cake flour, powdered sugar, egg whites, cream of tartar, salt, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and almond extract.
All that’s left is to cover your angel food cake with powdered sugar, whipped cream, and fresh fruit!
Don’t have cake flour on hand? No worries, you can easily make your own! To do so measure out 1 cup of all-purpose flour and then remove 2 tablespoons. Next, add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to the flour.
Then sift the flour mixture together 2 times. Doing so will mix the two ingredients well while also adding air to the mixture so it’s more the consistency of cake flour.
How To Make Angel Food Cake Step-By-Step
- Separate out the egg yolks from the eggs into a large bowl. Let them warm to room temperature.
- Stir together the cake flour and powdered sugar then set it aside.
- Beat the egg whites on medium using a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or a hand mixer. Then add the cream of tartar and salt, beating at high speed until the meringue holds stiff peaks.
- Add the granulated sugar in 2 tablespoons at a time.
- Fold in the vanilla and almond extracts gently.
- Sprinkle the flour-sugar mixture over the meringue. Gently fold it in, being careful not to overmix or the meringue will deflate.
- Pour the batter into an ungreased angel food cake pan or tube pan.
- Run a spatula through the batter to remove any air bubbles. Then smooth out the top of the cake.
- Bake the angel food cake until the top springs back when lightly touched.
- Cool the cake upside down so that the cake doesn’t collapse as it’s cooling.
- Remove the cake from the pan and serve!
Angel Food Cake Frequently Asked Questions
How To Store Angel Food Cake
Angel food cake will keep for up to 3 days at room temperature, or up to a week in the fridge. It will freeze for up to 4 months.
Can I use 6 whole eggs instead of just egg whites?
No, you will not get an angel food cake with a light airy texture if you include egg yolks. In fact, you will not be able to whip the egg whites into a meringue if there is any yolk in the egg whites.
What is the best way to separate eggs?
It is best to separate the eggs when they are cold. Then you will allow the egg whites to sit until they are room temperature – at least 30 minutes. I separate each egg into a small bowl by cracking the egg gently, and transferring the egg yolk back and forth between the 2 halves of the shell until all that is left in the shell is egg yolk and all of the egg white is in the bowl.
When I am sure I have got no egg yolk in the bowl I will transfer the egg white to my mixing bowl. I do this one egg at a time because there can not be any egg yolk in my mixing bowl or it will not form meringue.
My egg whites don’t want to turn into meringue – what did I do wrong?
First of all the egg whites must be at room temperature, and there must not be any yolk mixed in. Also, if you are using a plastic bowl, there may be some residual grease in the bowl, which will make it difficult to form a meringue. That is why a glass bowl is preferable.
Won’t the cake stick in the pan if I don’t spray it?
The angel cake will not rise properly if you grease the pan. After it has cooled completely, you will run a rubber spatula around the edges and it will tip out of the pan.
Can I just make this in a regular cake pan or a Bundt pan?
No, an angel food cake needs the tunnel in the middle and smooth sides to allow it to rise properly.
I don’t have any powdered sugar – is there a substitute?
Yes, place 1 ½ cup of granulated sugar in your blender and blend it at high speed until it is powdery. If you are using it right away, it will work fine.
Can I use egg whites from a carton?
No, you must use fresh egg whites. The whites in a carton are pasteurized and will not work.
I love that you can enjoy this Angel Food Cake plain or dress it up with toppings according to what kind of sweet treat you may be craving! Check out more yummy cake recipes that you can also enjoy plain or cover with fun toppings!
- Coconut Rum Cake – This cake has a sweet infusion of coconut rum and a delicious buttery glaze that takes just 20 minutes to prep!
- Cream Cheese Pound Cake – Dense, sweet, and incredibly tender pound cake that you can serve with fresh fruit, Perfect Homemade Whipped Cream, or an Easy Homemade Strawberry Sauce Topping!
- Lemon Butter Cake – The ultimate summertime cake that’s loaded with sugar, butter, and lemon!
- Honey Cake – Made with honey, cinnamon, and nutmeg then laced with coffee, orange juice, and bourbon. Ready in just 30 minutes!
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Angel Food Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup cake flour spooned and leveled
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- 12 large egg whites (must be room temperature)
- 1½ teaspoons cream of tartar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- Optional garnish is powdered sugar whipped cream, and fruit
Instructions
- Take cold eggs out of the refrigerator and separate out the yolks into a large, dry bowl. Let them warm to room temperature (this can take 30 minutes to an hour depending on the temperature of the room)
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- In order to make the angel food cake, you must either use 1 cup of cake flour or make cake flour out of all-purpose flour. To make cake flour: Measure 1 cup all-purpose flour. Remove 2 Tablespoons. Add 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch to the flour. Sift this together 2 times. This will mix these ingredients well and also add air to the mixture so it is more the consistency of cake flour.
- Stir together the cake flour and powdered sugar. Set this aside.
- Using a standing mixer or electric mixer, beat the egg whites on medium until frothy, add the cream of tartar and salt then beat on high speed until the meringue holds stiff peaks.
- Gradually add the granulated sugar, 2 Tablespoons at a time until incorporated. Do not scrape the bowl during the beating. Beat until they are stiff but not dry.
- Gently fold in the vanilla and almond extracts.
- Sprinkle the flour-sugar mixture, ¼ cup at a time over the meringue. Fold it in gently just until the flour-sugar mixture disappears. You do not want to overbeat or the meringue will deflate, and this will keep it from rising as well but be sure to incorporate all the flour – it tends to find pockets to hide in.
- Move the batter into an ungreased (this is very important) angel cake pan or tube pan – not a bundt pan. (10 inches X 4 inches) If you grease the pan the batter will not be able to grip the sides and middle and will not rise properly.
- Run a spatula through the batter to remove any air bubbles, then smooth the top.
- Bake the cake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly touched. Do not open the oven door to check the cake before 30 minutes as the fluctuation in temperature may cause the cake to collapse.
- When you remove the cake from the oven, place the pan upside down so that the cake doesn’t collapse as it is cooling. You may balance the middle tube on a bottle if your pan doesn’t have feet.
- Once the cake is completely cooled, run a spatula around the edges and remove the cake from the pan. It will be served upside down.
- Be sure to cut the cake with a sharp serrated knife. Serve the cake with powdered sugar, whipped cream, and fruit if desired.
Notes
- You can use a handheld electric mixer but I made this cake both ways, using a handheld AND a stand mixer… the stand mixer whipped the egg whites much better in my opinion. If your egg whites don’t fully stiffen but are somewhat thick, your cake will still most likely turn out…mine did! It will just be a bit denser and not AS fluffy but still delicious!
- Storage Instructions: Angel food cake will keep for up to 3 days at room temperature, or up to a week in the fridge. It will freeze for up to 4 months.
- Can I use 6 whole eggs instead of just egg whites? No, you will not get an angel food cake with a light airy texture if you include egg yolks. In fact, you will not be able to whip the egg whites into a meringue if there is any yolk in the egg whites.
- What is the best way to separate eggs? It is best to separate the eggs when they are cold. (Then you will allow the egg whites to sit until they are room temperature – at least 30 minutes.) I separate each egg into a small bowl by cracking the egg gently, and transferring the egg yolk back and forth between the 2 halves of the shell until all that is left in the shell is egg yolk and all of the egg white is in the bowl. When I am sure I have got no egg yolk in the bowl I will transfer the egg white to my mixing bowl. I do this one egg at a time because there can not be any egg yolk in my mixing bowl or it will not form meringue.
- My egg whites don’t want to turn into meringue – what did I do wrong? First of all the egg whites must be at room temperature, and there must not be any yolk mixed in. Also, if you are using a plastic bowl, there may be some residual grease in the bowl, which will make it difficult to form a meringue. That is why a glass bowl is preferable.
- Won’t the cake stick in the pan if I don’t spray it? The angel cake will not rise properly if you grease the pan. After it has cooled completely, you will run a spatula around the edges and it will tip out of the pan.
- Can I just make this in a regular cake pan or a bundt pan? No, an angel food cake needs the tunnel in the middle and smooth sides to allow it to rise properly.
- I don’t have any powdered sugar – is there a substitute? Yes, place 1 ½ cup of granulated sugar in your blender and blend it at high speed until it is powdery. If you are using it right away, it will work fine.
- Can I use egg whites from a carton? No, you must use fresh egg whites. The whites in a carton are pasteurized and will not work.
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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Comments & Reviews
Helga McCracken says
Love it Thank you so much