Angel Food Cake

This angel food cake recipe is light as air and perfectly sweet! And it's surprisingly simple to make with a few essential tips. This classic cake is just 6 ingredients with 15 minutes of hands-on time.

The Lightest Fluffiest Cake:

Sweet pillowy goodness! Angel food cake is a beautiful change of pace from heavy, buttercream-stuffed layer cakes.

A cake without fat shouldn't make sense. But it does! This meringue-based cake is made with whipped egg whites and sugar but no butter or egg yolks.

The lack of fat is what gives it a delicate, airy texture that pairs so well with whipped cream!

If you haven't made homemade angel food cake yet, you're in for a treat!

Key Ingredients:

• Egg whites - Don't buy carton egg whites for this recipe! They won't whip effectively. Fresh egg whites are key! All eggs vary in size so I measured them in a liquid measuring cup.
• Cream of tartar - Cream of tartar is a powdered form of tartaric acid. Acid keeps the whipped whites stable and prevents them from separating or weeping.
• Kosher salt - Salt adds flavor! A little bit of salt enhances baked goods.
• Vanilla extract - Since a tiny bottle of vanilla costs a bazillion dollars these days, I buy mine at Costco. Vanilla bean paste also tastes delicious in cakes!
• Cake flour - Don't fret. All-purpose flour works fine too. Cake flour has less protein in it, which creates a softer end result.
• Fine sugar - If you can't find superfine sugar, no worries! Just pulse regular sugar in a food processor a few times.

How to Make Angel Food Cake:

Before you start, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

1. Separate the whites from the yolks:

• There's multiple ways to do this! I prefer to crack the egg into my hand and let the egg white slip through my fingers.
• You don't want to break the egg yolk and let it slip into the whites. Fat prohibits egg whites from whipping properly.
• While this is true, trace amounts of fat shouldn't be a problem. So don't stress too much! Check out this helpful article if needed.

2. Sift the flour:

• It's important to sift the flour before you add it to the whipped egg whites. Why? Because it aerates the flour and removes lumps which prevents the flour from deflating our precious meringue!
• Sift the flour and half of the sugar together at least twice. Set it aside for later.

3. Whip the egg whites:

Don't stress over this part! I'm going to walk you through it.

• Start with a clean mixing bowl. I used a stand mixer with the whisk attachment to keep things easy! A hand mixer can be used but it hurts my arms!
• Start by beating the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt until they get frothy.
• Keep beating the egg whites, but begin to add the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, until all the sugar is added.
• Continue to beat the egg whites until they reach stiff peaks. A stiff peak just means the whipped whites stand straight up instead of falling over and drooping. Pull the wire whisk out of the egg whites to check.

4. Combine to make the batter:

• Add the sifted flour/sugar mixture in thirds to the egg whites. Don't just dump it in all at once. That's a good way to deflate the egg whites.
• Use a spatula to fold the mixture in after each addition.

5. Bake:

• Pour the batter into the angel food cake pan. It will be much lighter than regular cake batter!
• Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the top turns golden brown and cracks, while the interior is cooked. You can use the toothpick test to check.
• Remove the cake from the oven and carefully turn it over. Place it on a bottle or wire rack until it's completely cool.
• Loosen the cake with a knife, then remove it from the pan.

Expert Tips:

• Don't grease the angel food cake pan! You want the batter to "grip" the sides as it bakes. Not only does it give it a lofty appearance but it's key for a light texture!
• Avoid store-bought egg whites in the carton. They're runny and don't whip properly. Freshly separated eggs are the way to go!
• Cold eggs are easier to separate. The yolks and whites are firmer and won't break as easily.
• It's best to let the cake cool upside down. It prevents the cake from settling downward for the lightest cake possible!
• Let it cool completely before digging in!
• Always use a serrated knife to cut angel food cake. The texture is so light that a straight edge knife will push it down.

Ways to Enjoy Angel Food Cake:

• The classic: My favorite way! With whipped cream and macerated strawberries. Macerated strawberries are just strawberries tossed in a little bit of sugar. If you let them sit for 10 minutes, the strawberries soften, release juice, and intensify in flavor!
• Trifle: I did this for my daughter's first birthday and everyone went bonkers for it. Dice the angel food cake up into chunks. In a glass trifle bowl, layer chunks of angel food cake with whipped cream and sliced strawberries!
• Caramel sauce: Angel food cake is surprisingly delicious with homemade caramel.

Storage Tips:

• Store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
• It can also be frozen for up to a month; wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and foil before freezing.

More Classic Desserts:

• Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
• The Best Strawberry Cake Filling