My favorite recipe on the blog! This Angel Food Cake recipe uses all-purpose flour (but does includes tips to use cake flour, if you choose). I’m walking you through all the tips and tricks and even include a how-to video so yours comes out perfectly every time!
Angel Food Cake
The sweet, snow-white nemesis to my Devil’s food cake, this meringue-based beauty of an angel food cake is everything that dark and decadent cake isn’t. It’s light, fluffy, so airy and delicately vanilla flavored (with a hint of almond!).
It’s also my favorite recipe on the blog, and while it does require a bit of technique, I’m confident you can tackle this one. Once you do, you’ll never go back to store-bought or the kind that comes from a box!
Today I’m walking you through all the steps and spilling all my tips and secrets. I’ve also included a how-to video in the recipe card. Let’s get to it (and make sure you have some homemade whipped cream and strawberries at the ready, they pair perfectly with angel food cake!)!
What You Need (and Why!)
The ingredients used are each important in their own way to give the cake structure and perfect flavor.
- Egg Whites. This recipe uses a lot of egg whites (approximately 10-12). Room temperature egg whites are easier to whip to the stiff peaks you need when making the delicate batter. Hint: To quickly bring eggs to room temperature, set them in a bowl of warm (not hot) water for 15-20 minutes. Dry them thoroughly before cracking.
- Cream Of Tartar. This is an acidic powder that helps to stabilize the structure of the meringue. Cream of tartar can typically be found in the spice section of your grocery store. Some people use a bit of lemon or lime juice or white vinegar to help stabilize the egg whites instead, but I recommend cream of tartar for best results.
- Flour. Growing up we never had cake flour in my house and so we were forced to improvise. My mom made minor tweaks so that this recipe can be made perfectly using standard all-purpose flour, but I include notes in the recipe on how to make it with cake flour.
- Salt. There’s very little salt in this recipe, but it plays an important role. It helps to bring out the other flavors of the cake and balances the sweetness without making the cake taste salty.
- Granulated Sugar. This is gradually whipped into the egg whites to develop and stabilize the meringue, then powdered sugar (which does not need to be whipped/beaten to be dissolved) is used for the remainder of the sweetness factor.
- Powdered Sugar. Powdered sugar (AKA “confectioner’s sugar”) has cornstarch which helps to further stabilize the cake
- Vanilla & Almond Extracts. Vanilla extract is a must for this cake. It provides a subtle depth of flavor for this vanilla & sugar cake. Almond extract is optional and adds a slight brightness to the taste, but it’s not required.
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Angel Food Cake
- In a clean bowl free of grease or moisture combine the egg whites, vanilla and almond extract, cream of tartar, and salt. Mix until combined.
- Turn the mixer to high speed and add the granulated sugar one tablespoon at a time, waiting approximately 15 seconds between each addition. This allows the sugar to dissolve, which is important for an angel food cake with a fluffy, airy texture that rises properly and doesn’t collapse.
- Whip all the way to stiff peaks (a process you may remember from my meringue cookies or funfetti cake)! This means that if you dip a knife or spatula (or even your beater) into the mixture, when you remove the utensil the peaks that form hold their shape firmly without the peak folding or receding back into the mixture. The peak must be very firm without a hint of drooping. The mixture will have greatly increased in volume and be extremely thick, sticky, and fluffy. I also feel that it tends to begin to appear slightly less glossy and more matte when the eggs are fully whipped, though the meringue has not totally lost its sheen.
- Using a spatula, very gently fold the egg white mixture with the powdered sugar and flour mixture. The mixture should be thoroughly combined, but don’t over-mix or your cake may not rise properly.
- Pour (or rather spread, it will be a stiff and sticky batter) the batter into a clean, dry, grease-free tube pan (do not grease it!). Make sure it is evenly distributed, and use a spatula or butter knife to cut through the mixture to eliminate any air bubbles. Bake!
- The cake is finished baking when it springs back if the surface is lightly touched and when any cracks on the surface appear dry and not wet.
- Immediately invert the cake onto a bottle or canand allow to cool completely.
- Gently run a knife along the edge of the pan to loosen the cake and invert onto serving platter. If your cake pan has a removable bottom you will loosen the cake then lift it from the tube pan and then invert.
Tips For a Perfect Angel Food Cake
- A clean and dry bowl is critical. Do not get any yolk into your egg white and make sure to crack into a completely grease and moisture-free bowl. Even the tiniest bit of yolk or grease can keep your eggs from whipping correctly… that’s a lot of eggs to waste!
- You must beat your egg whites to stiff peaks. While this is thoroughly described above and in the recipe, if you are a visual learner it would likely be helpful for you to watch how I do this in my video in the recipe card. This is where you are most likely to run into a problem, as many people whip their eggs but not truly all the way to fluffy, stiff peaks.
- The egg whites will increase in volume an incredible amount! Once your egg whites reach stiff peaks, they’ll likely fill up your whole mixing bowl: as you can see in the photo above the egg whites fill about ¾ of my 5.5qt KitchenAid mixer bowl.
Frequently Asked Questions
Angel food cake requires technique, so don’t be hard on yourself if the first one turns out a bit deflated, collapses on itself, or even falls out of its pan! It took me several attempt to perfect my own technique. Typically, if the cake doesn’t rise, the egg whites were not beaten thoroughly enough (I really recommend watching the video if you are a visual learner), or possibly they were even over-whipped. A small bit of moisture or egg yolk mixed in with the egg whites, a particularly humid day, or repeatedly opening your oven can also cause the cake to not rise. Over-mixing the batter once you’ve added the flour is another likely culprit, mix until just combined.
Most often if it collapses, the egg whites were not beaten to stiff enough peaks or the cake was removed from the oven before it was truly baked all the way through. Different ovens bake differently, so make sure yours is running true to temperature and keep an oven thermometer or two in there!
Personally I do not recommend it. In order for the angel food cake to maintain its lofty height and airy texture, it is imperative that it be inverted immediately after baking and cooled upside down, and a tube pan is specifically designed for this cause. In any other type of pan such as a loaf pan, 9×13″ or other, you cannot suspend the cake upside down (it will simply fall out of the pan) and if you cool it right-side-up it will sink in on itself.
A special note on bundt pans: While it would be possible to cool your angel food cake upside down in a bundt pan, these pans usually have intricate designs that the cake must be carved away from. After carving the cake free, the appearance usually suffers.
I do not recommend it, as these egg whites often do not properly whip to stiff peaks (and sometimes even indicate so on the label).
Save them and use them to make one of my egg-yolk-heavy recipes like my pound cake, creme brûlée, lemon curd (great for topping angel food cake!) cream puffs, chocolate pie, or key lime pie!
Here is a brief guide explaining how to save egg yolks (cover them with a bit of water, store in a covered container in the fridge, and drain water before using).
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Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! Make sure to check out the how-to VIDEO in the recipe card!
Angel Food Cake
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup (156 g) powdered sugar
- ¾ cup + 2 Tablespoons (110 g) all-purpose flour OR you can use 1 cup/110g of cake flour
- 1 ½ cups (375 ml) egg whites², room temperature preferred 10-12 egg whites
- 1 ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract optional
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- strawberries and homemade whipped cream for topping optional
Recommended Equipment
- Stand mixer (see note ¹)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F (190C).
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and flour and set aside.1 ¼ cup (156 g) powdered sugar, ¾ cup + 2 Tablespoons (110 g) all-purpose flour
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (see note ³ for my success tips), combine egg whites, cream of tartar, vanilla and almond extracts and salt. Mix well.1 ½ cups (375 ml) egg whites², room temperature preferred, 1 ½ teaspoon cream of tartar, 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon almond extract, ¼ teaspoon salt
- With mixer on high, beat in sugar, about 1 Tablespoon at a time, adding more only once the previous tablespoon has been dissolved (About every 15 seconds; as you add the sugar, you may be able to hear the faint sound of the granules scraping against the metal bowl. Once you no longer hear this, the sugar has been dissolved). Do NOT scrape the sides of the bowl as you are doing this, just keep beating.1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- Beat until stiff peaks⁴ form; the mixture will be thickened, glossy, and sticky and will greatly have increased in volume.
- Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in sugar/flour mix, about ½ cup at a time. Do not over-mix; fold only until the flour mixture is combined with the egg whites mixture.
- Spread the mixture evenly into an ungreased 10 inch tube pan and use a knife or spatula to cut through the batter to break through any air bubbles that may exist.
- Bake the cake on the center rack of your 375F (190C) for 35 minutes or until the top of the cake springs back when lightly touched. Any cracks on the surface should look dry.
- Immediately upon removing from oven, invert the cake onto a bottle or can and allow it to cool completely.
- Once cake has cooled, place right-side-up and run a knife inside the rim of the cake pan. Invert cake onto serving platter.
- Slice carefully, Angel food cake is delicate so be sure to saw/slice each piece carefully with a serrated knife to avoid smashing it with a dull straight-blade. Serve with strawberries and homemade whipped cream, if desired.strawberries and homemade whipped cream for topping
Notes
¹If you don’t have a stand mixer:
You don’t have to use a KitchenAid/stand mixer, but I do recommend using at least an electric hand mixer (with a large bowl!), as whipping the egg whites by hand will be very difficult, time consuming, and exhausting! It will take much longer to whip egg whites with a hand mixer than with a stand mixer, so have patience!²Use fresh, not carton, egg whites
Use fresh egg whites and not the kind sold in a carton. Egg whites sold in a carton usually will not whip properly to stiff peaks, so use fresh!³Bowl for cracking egg whites
You want to be sure that you crack your eggs into a completely grease-free bowl and that there are absolutely NO pieces of yolk in with the whites. My suggestion is to crack each egg in a smaller bowl and then immediately transfer it to your measuring cup; don’t crack every egg directly into the measuring cup because if you accidentally get a bit of yolk in the cup near the end that you can’t scrape out, you will have to discard all of the whites and start over⁴Stiff peaks
Stiff peaks exist when you can dip a knife or spatula into the mixture and the peaks that form when you remove the utensil hold their shape firmly without the point of the peak folding or receding back into the mixture at all.Storing
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-5 days. This cake may also be frozen. Cool completely, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze for up to 3 months.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
This post was originally published 3/30/16
Debby Covington
Hi Sam,
I have made this angel food cake 3 times now, the first angel food cake I have ever baked in my life. I followed you recipe to a T. It turned out perfect every time, and so delicious, light, and airy. I was worried because I had to go out and buy an angel food cake pan, and all I could find was non- stick, but my cakes were nice and tall, and didn’t fall out when I inverted it over a can, I have found my perfect recipe, thank you so very much for sharing.
Sam
I am so glad you have enjoyed the cake, Debby! I hope you get lots of use out of your new pan. 😉
Marie
Amazing Recipe! First time baking an angel cake and further more the first by scratch cake that didn’t fall to pieces on me or taste horrid. Thought I’d fail honestly since Angel cake is supposed to be hard and advanced for a cake. But. It. Came. Out. Perfectly! Like picture on this page perfect. The taste impeccable even though I had to sub the almond for the same amount of vanilla extract. (couldn’t find any.) Other than that I followed the directions to a T. Sans stand mixer because I don’t have one. (Yes, I whipped it by hand. That took forever.)
Thank you for this recipe and finally giving me the ability to say I have now and can bake a cake! ^.^
Sam
YAY! I am so glad you enjoyed it Marie! This is a pretty difficult cake, so make sure to have an extra slice as a reward to yourself. 😉
Quint
Sam,
Thanks for the great instructions. This is my wife’s favorite cake. She hasn’t had a good birthday since her mother died, so I decided to surprise her with a cake. I am in my 50’s and haven’t baked a cake since I was a kid and my mom helped me. I followed your instructions exactly and my wife loved it. I’m not sure if it turned out perfect but it taste great. I even made your whip topping, which is the best I have ever had. My wife ate more of the cake plane than she did with toppings on it. The cake seemed a little firm, almost like it didn’t rise as much as it should have. I would like to send you a picture to show you the results. Again , thanks for the great instructions, you helped me make a great birthday for my wife.
Sam
Quint, thank you so much for commenting. I’m so happy to hear that this angel food cake was a success and everyone enjoyed it (and the whipped cream!). You can send a picture to my email address Samantha@SugarSpunRun.com if you would like, I’d love to see it. Thank you again for commenting and for the kind words.
Heather
Not impressed! I have a squashed angel food cake sitting on my counter with a bottle in the middle of it! This happened when it fell out of the pan. I am a proficient baker who does not throw things together. I used a spoon to lift the flour into the measuring cups. I sifted both the icing sugar and flour. I took my time beating the egg whites so the sugar was incorporated but not whipping them too much. I baked the cake on the 2nd to last rack. I gave it a bit of extra time (10 min) reducing the heat so it did not get over browned. It was beautiful when it came out of the oven but now I have a mess! No stars!
Sam
Hi Heather, it’s never fun when recipes don’t turn out as they should. The most likely problem was that the cake did not bake long enough. Did it spring back to the touch when it was finished baking? Did any cracks in the cake look dry? You mentioned baking the cake extra time in the oven with a reduced heat, did you just reduce the heat at the end or was it reduced throughout the baking process? Honestly if it needed more time than indicated I’m wondering if your oven temperature is running too low, which could cause the cake to be under-baked and fall out. It sounds like you know what you are doing in the kitchen so I’m guessing you did not use a greased pan, which would’ve been my other concern.
Disappointed to hear it didn’t turn out for you, as it’s really a lovely cake (my personal favorite and a long time family favorite as well). Angel food cakes are tricky though, so don’t beat yourself up about it and I’m happy to help troubleshoot further if you’d like to try again. It is a more advanced cake that can require some practice due to the technique involved, but it’s so worth it!
Erica Wu
This cake is perfect!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it, Erica! 🙂
Wendy
Amazing cake! I made it last night and it was super easy and super yummy. My hubby loved it. It will be my go to “Angel Food” 😋
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it, Wendy! 🙂
Marissa
Recipe sounds amazing! I’m thinking about making this cake for a 4 y/o’s birthday party this weekend and I was wondering if you needed to make the cake in a tube pan? I wanted to make a square layered cake. Does this change the cooking time, and will it change the texture? Thank you!
Sam
Hi Marissa! I have never tried baking it in a square pan so I am not sure how it would turn out, but it should work. It would definitely change the baking time but I don’t know how long it would need to bake.
AmyLynn
This cake turned out perfectly and was delicious. I followed the directions exactly. I am picky about my angel food cakes. I have tried a few different recipes. This one has a perfect spongy, airy texture with a sweet flavor. My entire family loved it. I will definitely be making it again. Thank you for sharing, Sam!
Sam
I am so happy to hear you enjoyed it!! Thank you so much for commenting and letting me know how it turned out for you, AmyLynn!! <3
Jeri
This was an excellent recipe! Turned out beautifully! Thank you!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it, Jeri! 🙂
Deanna MacCans
I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out WONDERFUL! Thank you.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it Deanna! 🙂
Nora Mitchell
What happened to the comment I submitted a couple of days ago? I followed your recipe to the letter and the result was horrid, but my comment about that isn’t being posted. Why is that?
Sam
Hi Nora, I just double-checked and I have no record of any comment from you. If it included profanity it might have been caught by my spam filter. Disappointed to hear you didn’t enjoy the cake, it’s really quite wonderful so if there’s anything I can do to help troubleshoot so you can get the same results please let me know.
Nora Mitchell
There was no profanity in it at all, not even anything that could be construed as profanity. Quick synopsys: The top of the cake started to burn black at the 30 minute mark — at that point spring back was good so I pulled it and inverted it. It held its loft really well during cooling at was completely cooled three hours later. It came out of the pan very well and had great browning on sides and bottom but was tacky to the touch, something I’ve not experienced with homemade angel food before. It sliced easily but the interior though airy was sticky and clearly not fully cooked through egg foam. The oddest thing is that that damp foam still had a tender crumb. The cake was also sickeningly sweet. As I followed the recipe faithfully my guess is that it has a couple of flaws in it, starting with oven temp. Most angel food recipes use 325-350 degrees F. and a longer baking time to assure good rise with thorough cooking of the interior without burning.
Sam
Hmm, if it was turning black at 30 minutes that’s very odd. My best guess is that your oven might actually be running much hotter than it is leading on. This would account for the blackened exterior and the uncooked interior. I am positive this recipe isn’t flawed, it’s been tested over and over and over again (my mom just made it again over the weekend, actually), and the oven temperature of 375F is correct. I would purchase one or two inexpensive oven thermometers and hang them in your oven. From what you’ve told me I would place my bets on your oven running too hot.
As for the sweetness, it is a sweet cake so that may just be a matter of taste.
Nora Mitchell
It was burning on the top only, the surfaces in contact with the pan had lovely even browning. As for my oven temp, I have oven thermometers always and the temp is true and works well for baking times and temps for other recipes. It was really weird seeing this cake hold its shape and loft after a slice was removed even though it was to all appearances not completely cooked and should have promptly collapsed! Oh well. I’ve had repeated success with recipes calling for about half the sugar and lower/longer making time so I’ll stick with those.
Sam
Very strange, I wish i could advise further but my best guess would’ve been the oven temperature. I’ve never had this problem and really can’t fathom what might have caused it, unfortunately. It is a tricky cake to make because of the technique involved but it sounds like you are familiar with making angel food cake. Disappointed it wasn’t a success for you because it really is a lovely cake. Best wishes.
Jeri
This comment is for Nora: I wonder if the issue with your cake was due to where your rack was placed in the oven. I always use the third rack from the bottom with any angel food cake recipe. Your cake may have been to close to your top heating element even if it was in the middle, which would explain the charring to the top and uneven baking of the cake.
Shelby
Excited to try this out! Can you please clarify if I should use powdered sugar or regular sugar?
Thanks
Sam
Hi, Shelby. You will need both for this recipe. 🙂
Shombrae
Hi, I would like to try this but can I use stevia sugar to replace the regular sugar. Also, do u have to use salt or is their an alternative?
Sam
Hi, Shombrae. You do need the salt, and I don’t recommend using stevia?
Divya
Oh the cake looks so delicious, I want to try it right away. Can I use egg whites in the carton? Will it make any difference in the texture and taste of the cake?
Sam
I have seen it work in some instances and not in others. There may be a little message on the carton that says “not suitable for baking” If your carton says that don’t use them. You may have some issues whipping the egg whites. Again I really can’t say for sure. If you try it and it works let me know how it works out. ☺️
Kristen
Hi! I am looking forward to trying your recipe! I am curious, is there a specific angel food cake pan or would a Bundt work? Thanks!
Sam
I just use a standard tube pan with the removable center. ☺️
Fatima
Can you use regular 8-9” pans? Or does it have to be a bundt cake pan?
Sam
Hi Fatima, I wouldn’t recommend using regular cake pans as the tube in the center helps the cake to rise properly and is important for when you invert the cake after baking.
Mary Claire
This was fabulous! I was searching for a perfect angel food cake recipe and this was it! It was a huge hit! Thank you!!! This will be my go to recipe every time!
Sam
Hi, Mary. I am so glad you enjoyed it! 😊
Carol
Hi Sam just made this cake . Looked great till I inverted the pan as I usually do 😩. When the 35 min time was up it looked like it needed a few more minutes so left it in for 5 more . Slid out of the pan onto the cups that I propped it on. I used my angle food pan and this is the first time that has ever happened. The only thing I did differently was to sift the flour and powdered sugar . I noticed that you didn’t sift yours,would that make a difference? Carol
Sam
Oh No!! I’m so sorry to hear this! I don’t sift my flour and sugar but I don’t think that would cause this. The only time I’ve ever lost a cake this way is when I used an angel food cake with prongs on the side, the edges pulled away from the cake and I lost the cake that way but that’s the only time.
It sounds like you’ve used this cake pan before with success, so I’m guessing it’s not a nonstick pan or you didn’t grease it and that wasn’t the problem?
I’m sorry I don’t have a clear answer for you, Carol, I’m really not sure what went wrong but I am sorry to hear it 🙁