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
Amanda
Opinion on baking this in a loaf pan? We don’t have an angel food pan and can’t get one in time for Easter dinner (tomorrow).
Sam
Hi Amanda! There is too much batter for a loaf pan. Unfortunately, the important thing to get a great angel food cake is you need to be able to invert the cake and I don’t think that will work in a loaf pan. 🙂
Amanda
It actually worked out! I split the batter into 2 pans and inverted them between two wire racks so that the cake wouldn’t get crushed. No adjustment to cooking time needed either.
Sam
That’s awesome! Thanks for the feedback. 🙂
Laurie
This recipe is absolutely amazing! It turned out perfect on my first try, and I have made it several times since. Tastes heavenly!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you have enjoyed this recipe, Laurie, and I am glad that you have had perfect results every time. Thank you so much for the positive feedback, I appreciate it! 🙂
Cam
I just had my first go at this recipe! It is still in the oven 🙂
I was a bit confused when it said to “pour the mixture” into the pan. I was worried that my mixture was too thick because it couldn’t be poured without major scooping action. But after watching the video it made sense.
I’m already wondering for next time. Is there any reason I should separate the eggs when they are room temp? Or can I separate the eggs when they are cold and allow the whites to warm up on their own?
Sam
Hi Cam! I hope you love the angel food cake. Separating the eggs while they are cold would be fine.
Tami Brazee
Hi Sam,
I made cupcakes with this recipe. They taste fantastic, however they fell about 15 minutes after they were removed from the oven. Do you know what I did wrong? I know I’ll try again. This is going to be my future “go to” when I make your chocolate pie. So I’ll have lots of practice. I LOVE your chocolate pie.
Thanks,
Tami
Sam
Hi Tami! Unfortunately it’s a little tricky to make cupcakes with this recipe. The batter is so delicate that it really needs to be turned upside down to keep the tops from collapsing in on themselves (which is why with the cake we invert it after baking until it cools completely). You may have better luck turning the cupcakes upside down on a cooling rack after they come out of the oven, but I’m afraid they still may collapse a bit since they are so fragile. I’m so glad you have been enjoying the recipes!!
Tami Brazee
I always wondered why angel food was turned upside down. Now I know. Thanks for the tip. I’ll try the cake next time.
Tami
Margaret M Griffin
I made this last year for my mother’s birthday and everyone loved it so much that they are asking for it again. Glad I found it again! Offering lemon cream mousse on the side with several choice of fruits and toasted coconut!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the angel food cake, Margaret, and you’re back to make it again! I love the sound of the lemon cream mousse. It should be a perfect pairing. Happy Baking. 🙂
Nola Engfelt
Thanks for the easy to follow recipe. I made it today for the first time and it turned out great!!! Worth the extra effort to make it from scratch vs. store bought!!!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the angel food cake, Nola! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Jen
Everyone loved it and went back for seconds! Great recipe!! Thanks for the clear directions and correlating video. I used both to help understand exactly what to do.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you found the directions and video helpful, Jen. I am happy that your angel food cake turned out perfectly and that you enjoyed it. Thank you for trying my recipe and for commenting. Enjoy! 🙂
Hayley
I have made this cake using this recipe more times than I can count. It is very easy, and turns out wonderful. Thank you for sharing this.
Sugar Spun Run
That is so wonderful, Hayley! I am so glad that you enjoyed the angel food cake. 🙂
Mary
My 24 year old son requested angel food cake for a family gathering as a joke. I found your recipe and, although, it was far from a simple cake to make’ as you state in the end of your recipe it was not impossible and turned out beautifully. Your instructions were clear, concise and detailed which was key to success. Thank you.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the angel food cake, Mary! 🙂
Karen
I have made this recipe quite a few times. I was always a little scared to make Angel Food cake. But this recipe was very easy to follow and was wonderful. My family insists on me making the Angel Food Cake now. Never buy one from the store again. Thank you for the great recipe.
Sam
You’re very welcome, Karen, I’m so happy to hear it was such a success for you! Thank you so much for commenting!
Mary
This cake was out of this world! I’m usually not a huge fan of angel food cake but my mom was visiting for her birthday and it’s her favorite cake. So I set out to make the best angel food cake I could and WOW!!!! This cake was amazing! The directions were very easy to follow and the result couldn’t have been any better. I wanted to put a chocolate drizzle on it but it didn’t last long enough. We devoured it. I didn’t have a formed pan and cooked it in a glass baking dish and it was still fabulous! I highly recommend anyone thinking about making this to stop thinking and start doing. Thanks for the recipe!!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Mary! I am so happy to hear that everyone devoured the angel food cake. 🙂
Brenda Ruedebusch
Can you make this cake glutton free?
Sam
Unfortunately I’m not very familiar with gluten free baking so I can’t advise, but maybe someone else has tried this Angel Food Cake with gluten free modifications and can chime in!
Kat
I’ve made this with gluten-free flour for my husband a couple times. To be frank, I find most baked goods made with gluten-free flour to be . . shall we say . . . dry, bland, and not worth the calories. This cake was an exception to the rule! I don’t know if it’s due to the relatively low flour content to other ingredients or what, but it was perfect!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so happy to hear that the angel food cake turned out perfectly even with the gluten-free flour substitute, Kat! Thank you for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Sara
I made this yesterday. My husband requested angel food cake served like strawberry shortcake and although I consider myself a pretty experienced Baker I was a little intimidated by angel food cake. Your recipe and instructions were very clear and I am happy with the results! The only issue I found is that mine seemed a little more dense than its supposed to be but that is probably because I used a springform pan with a tin can in the center to make up for my lack of a tube pan therefore the cake did not have the ability to rise to its potential. Thank you!!
Sam
I’m so happy to hear that the cake was a success! Thank you so much for commenting, Sara, and I’m honestly impressed by your innovation with the tin can!
Libby
Is it possible to use a different type pan other than a tube pan please? Thank you!
Sam
A bundt pan could potentially work. A tube pan is best though in order for the cake to bake evenly and so that you can properly cool it after baking.
Stefanie
First time from scratch! Thanks for a super clear recipe!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the cake, Stefanie! 🙂