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
Emily
AMAZING! I grew Up on Angel Food Cakes and we always made them from a box! This recipe and cake is delicious! So easy to make and just so tasty. Thank you for sharing your recipe❤️
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Emily! 🙂
Ingrid
I appreciate that the recipe doesn’t require sifting the dry ingredients four times as other recipes do. I did sift the flour and powdered sugar initially and then sifted it over the eggs. I also used liquid egg whites. They work really well and then I don’t end up with a dozen yolks.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the cake so much, Ingrid! 🙂
Tracy Quigley
You should suggest how high to fill…mine are over flowing
Sugar Spun Run
Oh no, Tracy! I am so sorry that this happened to you. I am not sure how big your pan is but I use a 10 inch tube pan for mine and this recipe makes enough batter to fill it 2/3 of the way full. Again, I am sorry that it overflowed. Regardless, I hope that you get to enjoy it. 🙁
LuAnn
My granddaughter and I made for her mother’s birthday. Looked great pouring into the pan, but fell during baking. We had a flop, but had fun trying!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so sorry that this cake did not turn out perfectly for you, LuAnn! I am happy that you had fun making it together. 🙂
Dana
This recipe is fabulous. It is so light and fluffy like eating air. The flavor is delicious with the almond extract. My family loved it! Thank you!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Dana! I am so glad that your family enjoyed it. Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Gloria
this is the best recipe. My family loved it and it turned out awesome and was my first time making it.
Great recipe
Thank you for sharing. this recipe
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that the cake was a big hit with your family, Gloria! Thank you so much for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Gina
I have made this four times and every time has been perfection!!!! Thank you for all the tips and tricks!!!
Sam
I am so happy to hear this! Thank you so much for commenting, Gina! I appreciate it!
Josie
Can this recipe be made into cupcake?
Sam
I’ve done it before, but since the cupcakes can’t be inverted after baking they generally tend to sink and cave in, unfortunately 🙁
Kira
Would it be possible to make this cake using a regular cake pan?
Sam
Unfortunately I don’t recommend it. You need the tube in the center so that the light batter can cook evenly and rise properly without sinking. It’s also important to invert the cake after baking, which isn’t possible with a regular cake pan. The cake would most likely cave in and be more dense than it ought to be 🙁
U.P.
Hello have you ever tried making cookies from this recipe or know how to adjust the recipe to make cookies ?:) thanks
Sam
You may like my meringue cookies. 🙂
CarolO
Made this last night for my son’s birthday today. Soooo much better than boxed. Tender, not too sweet. Highly recommend making. Will start saving egg whites leftover from homemade pudding from now on. Thanks for posting recipe+tips!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the cake so much! 🙂
dennia law
cake turned out little dry,should milk be added ?
Sugar Spun Run
Oh no! I am so sorry that you experienced an issue, Dennia! If the cake is dry and not fluffy, it makes me think that too much flour may have been added. This is the most common mistake in baking so I have created a guide on how to measure flour properly that can be used as a reference for next time. I hope that helps! 🙂
Lisa
This was by far the best angel food cake I have ever eaten! Have made it twice and each time delish!
Sam
Thank you so much, Lisa! I am so glad you enjoyed the cake! 🙂
Jenn F.
Just made this recipe yesterday, it turned out great! I think the cupcake idea would also be a fun variation. I’d have to say the same, that it is so good it won’t last long! I iced the cake with the old-fashioned “7 minute” egg white icing, which was also a good variation from the classic (and amazing) strawberries and whipped cream. Just thought I’d share. I would definitely recommend 🙂
Sam
Thank you so much for the feedback, Jenn! I am so glad you enjoyed the cake so much. 🙂
Quint Lindsay
As David G said, real men do cook, but I really don’t cook. I tried this recipe last year for my wife’s birthday, angle food cake is her favorite, thanks to your detailed instructions it turned out real good. It was intimidating as heck but your instructions walked a novice baker through the process. I tried it again last week, went way smoother this time and turned out even better than the first one. Also, your whip topping recipe is awesome. Thanks for posting these great recipes in a way that nonbakers can succeed. My wife thanks you too.
p.s. in 30+ years of marriage, I have never baked her a cake for her birthday. Didn’t know you could bake angle food cake from scratch.
Sugar Spun Run
What a sweet gesture to do for your wife on her birthday! I am so glad that she enjoyed it and I hope that she had a nice birthday.
Thank you for trying my recipe. I am glad that it turned out even better this go around. 🙂
David G.
First of all, real men do bake!! I made this angel food cake yesterday for my wife and it turned out awesome!! It was no lie the best one I’ve ever had. It was so easy and the video really helped!! Thank you and GREAT job!!!
Sugar Spun Run
What a sweet gesture. I am so happy that you enjoyed the cake and I hope that your wife did too. Thank you for trying my recipe and for commenting, David! 🙂