Heavenly Homemade Angel Food Cake Recipe: Light as Clouds!

Baking a light and airy angel food cake requires precision and care.

Whisking egg whites to glossy peaks feels like kitchen magic.

Soft clouds of meringue transform simple ingredients into something extraordinary.

Delicate textures and pure vanilla notes make this classic dessert irresistible.

Gentle folding techniques ensure the cake rises with elegant height.

Professional bakers understand the delicate balance of ingredients and technique.

Each slice promises a heavenly experience that melts in your mouth.

You’ll want to savor every delightful, cloudlike bite of this celestial treat.

What Makes Angel Food Cake Light and Tasty

• Create a delicate, airy cake that serves as an elegant dessert for summer gatherings, brunches, or special celebrations without feeling heavy.
• Craft a delicious treat using basic pantry staples like flour, sugar, and eggs, saving time and money on complicated recipe components.
• Dress up this classic cake with fresh berries, whipped cream, or chocolate drizzle to suit different tastes and occasions, making it endlessly adaptable for any dessert lover.

Ingredients for a Fluffy Angel Food Cake

• Cake Flour: Soft, low-protein flour that creates a light and delicate cake texture.
• Granulated Sugar: Essential for sweetness and helping the cake structure rise and maintain volume.

• Egg Whites: The primary structure and volume creator for angel food cake, providing airiness and stability.
• Cream of Tartar: Stabilizes egg whites during whipping, helping them maintain volume and creating a smooth meringue.

• Vanilla Extract: Adds warm, sweet background flavor to complement the light cake.
• Salt: A small pinch balances and enhances the overall sweetness of the cake.

How to Whip Up Angel Food Cake at Home

Step 1: Prepare Oven And Pan

Warm your oven to 350°F (175°C). Select a tube pan and ensure it’s spotlessly clean and completely dry. Do not grease the pan, as this will prevent the cake from rising properly.

Step 2: Create Flour Mixture

• Cake flour
• Granulated sugar

Sift the ingredients together three times, which helps create an incredibly light and airy texture. The repeated sifting breaks down any potential lumps and incorporates air into the mixture.

Step 3: Separate Egg Whites

Carefully crack eggs, separating whites from yolks. Make sure no yolk contamination occurs, as fat prevents whites from whipping correctly. Use room temperature eggs for best volume.

Step 4: Whip Egg Whites

Place egg whites in a clean, dry metal or glass bowl. Begin whipping at medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining sugar while continuing to beat.

Step 5: Enhance Egg White Mixture

• Cream of tartar
• Salt
• Vanilla extract

Beat until stiff, glossy peaks develop. Whites should stand up in firm, dramatic peaks when beater is lifted.

Step 6: Fold Flour Into Whites

Gently sprinkle flour mixture over whipped whites. Use a rubber spatula to fold ingredients together, maintaining as much air as possible. Use a bottom-to-top cutting motion.

Step 7: Transfer To Pan

Carefully pour batter into ungreased tube pan. Smooth top gently with spatula, ensuring even distribution.

Step 8: Bake The Cake

Place pan in preheated oven. Bake until cake springs back when lightly touched and appears golden, approximately 35-40 minutes.

Step 9: Cool Completely

Immediately invert pan onto cooling rack after removing from oven. Let cake hang upside down until totally cooled, which helps maintain its impressive height.

Step 10: Release And Serve

Once completely cool, run knife around edges to separate cake from pan. Gently remove and transfer to serving plate. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.

Helpful Advice for Angel Food Cake Bakers

• Elevate Texture: Sift flour and sugar multiple times to ensure an ultra-light, delicate cake with smooth, fine crumb.
• Pan Preparation: Use an ungreased tube pan to help the cake climb and rise perfectly, allowing maximum volume and height.
• Temperature Precision: Maintain exact oven temperature at 350F for even baking and consistent golden-brown exterior.
• Egg White Mastery: Whip egg whites to stiff peaks with clean, grease-free equipment to guarantee maximum volume and airy structure.
• Cooling Technique: Invert cake pan immediately after baking to prevent deflation and maintain the cake's signature tall, fluffy texture.

Keep Angel Food Cake Fresh and Airy

• Store leftover angel food cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Cover the cake loosely with plastic wrap to prevent drying out.
• If serving within a day, keep the cake at room temperature in a sealed container to maintain its light, fluffy texture.
• Wrap individual slices or the whole cake tightly in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
• Gently warm individual slices in the microwave for 10-15 seconds, or let them sit at room temperature for a few minutes before enjoying to preserve the cake's delicate structure.

What to Serve with Angel Food Cake

• Complement the cake's airy sweetness with a zesty lemon or tangerine sorbet that cuts through the cake's delicate texture and adds a refreshing, bright contrast.
• Enhance the cake's lightness by topping it with a vibrant mixed berry compote, which introduces a burst of natural sweetness and a beautiful color palette.
• Elevate the dessert experience by serving a crisp, dry champagne or sparkling wine alongside the angel food cake, creating an elegant and celebratory pairing that highlights the cake's delicate nature.
• Create a sophisticated twist by serving a subtly fragrant lavender-infused whipped cream that adds a gentle floral note and luxurious smoothness to the ethereal cake.

Flavor Adjustments for Angel Food Cake

• Gluten-Free Delight: Swap cake flour with a gluten-free blend made from rice flour, potato starch, and xanthan gum for a celiac-friendly version that maintains the cake's airy texture.
• Almond Cloud Cake: Replace half the cake flour with almond flour to add a subtle nutty flavor and create a lighter, more delicate crumb that melts in your mouth.
• Low-Sugar Heaven: Use a monk fruit or stevia sweetener in place of granulated sugar to reduce calorie content while keeping the cake's signature light and fluffy profile.
• Coconut Dream: Incorporate coconut flour and add a touch of coconut extract to transform the classic angel food cake into a tropical-inspired treat with a hint of island flavor.

Angel Food Cake Recipe

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4.8 from 27 reviews

• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 12 1x

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Description

Heavenly Angel Food Cake delights dessert enthusiasts with its cloud-like texture and delicate sweetness. Airy and light, this classic treat promises pure indulgence that will satisfy sweet cravings and transport taste buds to dessert paradise.

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Ingredients

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Main Ingredients:

• 12 large egg whites (room temperature)
• 1 ½ cups (300 grams / 10.6 ounces) granulated sugar (divided)
• 1 cup (120 grams / 4.2 ounces) cake flour (or all-purpose flour sifted with 2 tablespoons cornstarch)

Stabilizing and Flavoring Ingredients:

• 1 ½ teaspoons cream of tartar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon almond extract (optional)

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Instructions

1. Prepare the oven environment by positioning a rack in the center and heating to 350F (175C). Ensure an ungreased tube pan is ready for baking.
2. Create a precise flour mixture by meticulously sifting cake flour with half the granulated sugar. Repeat the sifting process two additional times to achieve an ultra-fine, uniform consistency, then set the blend aside.
3. Separate egg whites carefully, allowing them to reach room temperature for optimal volume and stability. Transfer whites to a spacious, immaculately clean mixing bowl, ensuring no trace of yolk remains.
4. Incorporate cream of tartar and salt into the egg whites, initiating whipping at medium speed until soft peaks form and the mixture appears foamy and slightly opaque.
5. Gradually introduce the remaining granulated sugar while continuously whipping, increasing speed to high. Continue beating until whites transform into glossy, stiff peaks that hold their shape without collapsing.
6. Gently fold the sifted flour-sugar mixture into the whipped egg whites using a delicate, sweeping motion. Proceed with utmost care to maintain the airiness of the meringue, stopping when no visible flour streaks remain.
7. Transfer the delicate batter into the ungreased tube pan, using a spatula to distribute evenly and eliminate potential air pockets. Smooth the surface with gentle, deliberate strokes.
8. Position the pan in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 35-40 minutes, monitoring until the top becomes golden and springs back when lightly touched.
9. Immediately invert the pan upon removal from the oven, allowing the cake to cool completely suspended in the air. This crucial step prevents deflation and maintains the cake’s distinctive height and texture.
10. Once thoroughly cooled, carefully run a thin knife around the pan’s edges to release the cake. Slice and serve, revealing the cake’s ethereal, cloud-like interior.

Notes

• Opt for cake flour with low protein content to ensure a lighter, more delicate cake texture that practically melts in your mouth.
• Avoid greasing the pan, as angel food cake needs to cling to the sides to rise properly and create its signature airy structure.
• Use room temperature egg whites for maximum volume and easier whipping, which helps create the signature cloudlike consistency of angel food cake.
• Consider using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment to achieve those perfect stiff, glossy peaks that give the cake its remarkable height and softness.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
• Category: Desserts
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 12
• Calories: 130
• Sugar: 25 g
• Sodium: 50 mg
• Fat: 0 g
• Saturated Fat: 0 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 31 g
• Fiber: 0 g
• Protein: 4 g
• Cholesterol: 0 mg