Light and fluffy, this angel food cake comes together with just seven pantry ingredients. This homemade cake is super delicate, airy, and full of flavor.
Light and Fluffy Angel Food Cake
Angel food cake is like a slice of air. It nixes the idea of using butter, egg yolks, and any kind of fat and embraces whipped egg whites to create a light and airy slice of cake. The cake has a delicate cloud-like flavor, with a soft crumb and tender crust.
The ingredients for angel food cake are a little particular, but one bite of the finished product will be worth all the details that go into this fluffy cake. First, cake flour is a must when making this cake. Regular AP flour has too much protein and won't create the fluffy texture needed in the cake. Next, this cake ditches all the yolks in the eggs and opts for egg whites instead. The egg whites whip to soft peaks, not stiff peaks. Stiff peaks hold their shapes, while soft peaks fall back into themselves.
The only non-traditional ingredient in this cake is a dash of almond extract. The small addition adds a subtle taste of almond flavoring to the light cake. It is like adding almond extract to sugar cookies. It doesn't contribute a lot but adds a distinct flavor that is very tasty and levels up the cake — at least, in my opinion. If you don't love almonds or can't eat them, simply leave out the extract and follow the rest of the recipe.
Looking to try out more cakes? Check out my lemon rosemary bundt cake or my fig jam cake.
Why I Love This Angel Food Cake
- Simple - The cake is plain and simple. It's light and airy, making it the perfect summertime dessert.
- Blank Canvas - Because the cake is so simple, it is great to add berries or whipped cream — or both!
- Light Bite- There is always room for dessert, but sometimes it is so heavy. This dessert is light and airy, keeping you feeling good with a sweet bite.
Ingredients Needed For Angel Food Cake
See below for all the details on what you'll need to make the full recipe.
- Cake Flour - Cake flour gives the cake a light base.
- Egg Whites - The soft peaks of the egg whites help the cake rise.
- Sugar - Pulse the sugar in a food processor so it is extra fine.
- Cream of Tartar - Helps stabilize the egg mixture.
- Almond Extract - Optional, but adds in a nice, subtle flavor.
Directions For How To Make Angel Food Cake
- Prepare.
Preheat the oven to 350 and set a tube pan to the side.
- Pulse the sugar.
In a food processor, pulse the sugar until fine. Then remove 1 cup of the sugar and add in the flour and salt. Pulse that mixture 5 times until light and fine. Set to the side.
- Whip the egg whites.
In a large bowl with a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar. Whip the egg whites first for 1 minute until foamy on medium-low speed, then go to medium-high speed and add in the 1 cup of sugar. Continue whipping the mixture until the egg whites have reached soft peaks, about 5-6 minutes. Fold in the extracts when soft peaks have been reached.
- Add in dry ingredients.
Add the flour mixture to the egg white mixture in three additions. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the flour. Be delicate so as not to deflate the egg mixture.
- Bake the cake.
Add the cake batter to the tube pan. Do not add grease or any butter to the pan. Bake the cake in the oven for 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool the cake.
Cool the cake by flipping it upside down on a cooling rack. Letting the cake cool upside down allows the cake to keep its shape and not deflate. Let the cake sit upside down for about 3 hours.
- Serve and enjoy!
After 3 hours, run a butter knife around the outside of the tube pan to loosen the cake. Serve with berries and whipped cream if desired, and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
One of the things that I love most about angel food cake is the ability to jazz it up. The cake is so simple and takes to toppings very well. The most classic choice is adding a mixture of berries right on top. Another choice is whipped cream or powdered sugar. All are great options to serve alongside the simple cake.
Make Ahead and Storage
An angel food cake is very delicate, so I recommend making it the day you plan on serving it. That being said, the schedule doesn't always work out. The cake can be made one day ahead of time and stored in an airtight container. It can also be made, frozen whole, and stored for 2-3 months.
Extra angel food cake can be kept in an airtight container for up to 5 days. The cake may deflate slightly as it sits. Extra cake can also be frozen for 2-3 months in the freezer.
Tips and Variations
- Egg Whites — Separate the egg whites from the yolks in a separate bowl. That way, the whole batch isn't ruined if one yolk gets in the egg white mixture.
- Delicate Hands —The cake batter is very delicate and can quickly deflate. Use a rubber spatula and careful hands to incorporate the flour and add the batter to the tube pan.
- Almond Extract — A small amount goes a long way, so don't add more than ¼ tsp. If you don't love almonds, you can omit them altogether.
FAQs
Angel food cake tends to be healthier than other cakes. That being said, it is still a cake. The cake uses egg whites and omits butter and egg yolks to reduce the fats found in a typical cake.
The angel food cake cools upside down to hold the shape of the cake. Being upside down helps the cake stay light and airy.
Soft peaks refer to the egg whites when they are whipped. Soft peaks will fall back on each other, while stiff peaks will hold their shape. Aim for soft peaks with this angel food cake.
Angel Food Cake
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350 and set a tube pan to the side.
- Pulse the sugar in a food processor until it is fine. Remove 1 cup of the sugar and add in the flour and salt. Pulse the mixture 5 times until light and fine.
- In a large bowl with a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, whip the egg whites. Whip the egg whites for 1 minute until foamy on medium-low speed, then go to medium-high speed and add in the 1 cup of sugar. Continue whipping the mixture until the egg whites have reached soft peaks, about 5-6 minutes. Fold in the extracts when soft peaks have been reached.
- Add the flour to the egg mixture three in three separate additions. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the flour mixture carefully.
- Add the cake batter to the tube pan. Do not add grease or any butter to the pan. Bake the cake in the oven for 45-50 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool the cake by flipping it upside down on a cooling rack. Letting the cake cool upside down allows the cake to keep its shape and not deflate. Let the cake sit upside down for about 3 hours.
- After 3 hours, run a butter knife around the outside of the tube pan to loosen the cake. Serve with berries and whipped cream if desired, and enjoy!
Leave a Reply