Welcome to the June Recipe of the Month: Angel Food Cake! Maybe you recognize this cake (my all-time favorite!) from when I originally shared it, but I’ve updated the post to include detailed instructions, critical tips, and a step-by-step video.
This is an easy, classic Angel Food Cake recipe that uses all-purpose flour (but does includes tips to use cake flour, if you choose). Today’s post is chock full of tips to make sure your cake comes out perfectly every time!
Welcome to my second “Recipe of the Month”: Angel Food Cake!
In case you missed it, each month I’ll be selecting a recipe that I’d love for everyone to try, be sure to check out all of the details that I shared yesterday (including how to enter to win an Amazon gift card!).
Sweet, soft, slightly sticky and lighter than air, each bite of Angel Food Cake just absolutely melts in your mouth. While it may appear plain, the flavor is extraordinary: lightly vanilla with traces of almond, a fluffy, pure white interior with a golden brown, crackly meringue-like bottom.
This cake is my all-time favorite, my mom has been making it for years (partially due to the need to use up her surplus of fresh chicken eggs). Given the opportunity I could absolutely finish off this cake with just a fork and twenty minutes of time… or with just twenty minutes, fork optional.
I have lots of tips that I want to share with you today, so let’s dig in.
First, let’s talk egg whites.
Angel Food Cake requires 1 1/2 cups of egg whites (for me this is usually about 11 eggs). Egg whites are what make up the majority of our batter, so let’s cover some critical points here first.
- Your egg whites should be at room temperature for angel food cake, so set your eggs out to reach room temperature the night before. If you forget to set out your eggs, you can set them in a bowl of lukewarm water for about 15-20 minutes to bring them to temperature faster, just make sure to dry them very well before cracking.
- 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. 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. Reaching stiff peaks usually takes me several minutes, so some patience is required. For more information on stiff peaks please see my meringue cookie recipe and I also use them when making my Funfetti Cake.
- 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 would be very difficult, time consuming, and exhausting!
- 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 3/4 of my KitchenAid mixer bowl.
- The mixture will be thick, glossy, sticky, and very full once it’s finished. You don’t want to over-mix your egg whites, but it is so critical that you beat them to stiff peaks. I think this is where many people go wrong and feel that they are mixing too long. Your egg whites should look like mine in the photo above or in the video or they aren’t ready yet.
- Don’t know what to do with your leftover egg yolks? Try my chocolate pie!
Once you’ve achieved thick, glossy, stiff peaks with your egg whites, we’ll add a mixture of flour and powdered sugar into the mix.
It’s critical that you fold these ingredients in by hand. Using an electric mixer at this point would almost definitely over-beat your mixture and cause your egg whites to deflate and your cake to sink, so stir gently with a light hand.
Why Do You Have To Turn Angel Food Cake Upside Down?
Remember those delicate egg whites we just spent all that time whipping to stiff peaks? Well they are responsible for angel food cake’s extremely light and airy texture. However, they are still rather fragile while fresh out of the oven and leaving the cake upright can cause the cake to collapse in on itself and deflate, which is why we turn the cake upside down once it’s finished baking. We’re using gravity to our advantage here rather than falling victim to it.
To help the cake keep its height and its fluffy interior, you’ll simply turn it upside down while it cools. I recommend placing the center or neck of the tube pan on an empty bottle or a can and allow it to cool completely there.
Now, some tube bans are made with little feet or prongs coming off the rim with the plan so that you can skip the bottle or can and just set the pan upside down on the prongs. However, I’ve never had success with this and find that doing this usually causes my angel food cake to fall right out of the pan (!), so even if you have this sort of tube pan I still recommend using a can or a bottle to cool your angel food cake.
How Long Can You Keep Angel Food Cake?
In my house, you can’t keep it longer than 12 hours without it magically disappearing! However, generally angel food cake will keep for about 2 days at room temperature if stored in an airtight container.
Can You Freeze Angel Food Cake?
Yes, you can, (though I firmly believe these cakes taste best fresh). Allow the cake to cool completely and then wrap the cake tightly and completely in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil. Angel Food Cake can be frozen for several months.
To thaw, just place the (wrapped) angel food cake in the refrigerator the night before you intend to serve it and allow it to thaw in the refrigerator.
Can I make this Angel Food Cake Recipe into Cupcakes?
You can, and I’ve done it before with this exact recipe. I always use cupcake liners when making angel food cupcakes, you’ll fill each cupcake liner with batter (I usually fill mine right to the top) and bake on 375F (190C) for about 12 minutes.
Let them cool completely in the pan before removing. This recipe will make about 24 cupcakes.
The cake is utter perfection on its own, but I usually keep homemade whipped cream and strawberries handy to dress it up a little bit. I’ve also transformed this cake into a Strawberry Lemon Layer Cake, which is incredible!
Treat yourself to a FREE E-BOOK!
Alright, I hope all of you will try out this cake for yourself, and please make sure to share a picture and tag me to participate in the Recipe of the Month challenge for a chance to win an Amazon gift card.
Angel Food Cake is a simple cake, but the technique can be tricky the first time you make it, so make sure to let me know if you have any questions or ask them in my Baker’s Club! Also, if you do happen to have a recipe fail, that still counts as an entry for the recipe of the month so long as you share a photo and tag me according the guidelines I shared yesterday!
Looking for more classic cake recipes? Check out my vanilla cake, my chocolate cake, my white cake recipe or my pineapple upside-down cake!
How to Make Angel Food Cake
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Angel Food Cake
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar (156g)
- 3/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour (90g) OR you can use 1 cup of cake flour
- 1 1/2 cups egg whites at room temperature 10-12 egg whites (375ml)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract optional
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar NOT powdered (200g)
- strawberries and homemade whipped cream for topping optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F (190C).
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and flour and set aside.
- In KitchenAid mixer, combine egg whites*, cream of tartar, vanilla and almond extracts and salt. Mix well.
- With mixer on high, beat in sugar, about 1 Tablespoon at a time, adding more only once the previous tablespoon has been dissolved (About 10-15 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.
- Beat until stiff peaks** 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.
- Pour mixture 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 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 funnel 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.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published 3/30/16
Amanda says
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 says
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 says
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 says
That’s awesome! Thanks for the feedback. 🙂
Laurie says
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 says
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 says
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 says
Hi Cam! I hope you love the angel food cake. Separating the eggs while they are cold would be fine.
Tami Brazee says
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 says
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 says
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 says
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 says
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 says
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 says
I am so glad that you enjoyed the angel food cake, Nola! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Jen says
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 says
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 says
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 says
That is so wonderful, Hayley! I am so glad that you enjoyed the angel food cake. 🙂
Mary says
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 says
I am so glad that you enjoyed the angel food cake, Mary! 🙂
Karen says
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 says
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 says
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 says
Thank you so much, Mary! I am so happy to hear that everyone devoured the angel food cake. 🙂
Brenda Ruedebusch says
Can you make this cake glutton free?
Sam says
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 says
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 says
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 says
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 says
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 says
Is it possible to use a different type pan other than a tube pan please? Thank you!
Sam says
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 says
First time from scratch! Thanks for a super clear recipe!
Sam says
I am so glad you enjoyed the cake, Stefanie! 🙂