This angel food cake recipe covers all the techniques and little details you need to bake a tall, soft, cloud-like angel cake every time.
Angel Food Cake Recipe Snapshot
What it is: A springy sponge cake made with whipped egg whites and baked in a tube pan.
Why you'll love it: It's sweet, light as air, and soft as a cloud. And made with just a few simple ingredients.
How to make it: Whip egg whites and sugar to make French meringue, then fold in the flour and bake.
Growing up, the only reason I knew angel food cake existed was because of The Sims. I made my Sim bake it obsessively, long before I ever tried making one in a real kitchen.
Real-life angel food cake, it turns out, is a little less forgiving. On paper, it looks very simple - eggs, sugar, flour, bake - but it's one of the easiest cakes to mess up if you don't know what to pay attention to. The way the ingredients are combined makes the difference between a tall, cloud-like cake and one that collapses into something dense or rubbery.
I have now made many sponge cakes over the years, and I've noticed that many recipes gloss over the details, leaving home bakers wondering what went wrong. In this post, I'll walk you through the specific techniques and small (but important) details that actually matter, so you can bake an angel food cake that's light, stable, and consistently delicious - no cheat codes required!
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What Is Angel Food Cake?
Angel food cake is a type of sponge cake that uses no fat at all in the recipe and gets its rise from whipping the egg whites, rather than using chemical leaveners. This makes a super light and fluffy cake with a cloud-like texture.
Ingredients
Angel food cake only has a few simple ingredients, but each one plays an important role in the rise and texture of the cake.
- Egg Whites - It's best to use fresh egg whites, as they will whip up much better than carton egg whites. Here are ideas for what to do with leftover egg yolks.
- Superfine Sugar - Dissolves into the egg whites easily. If you don't have it, you can make it by pulsing granulated sugar in the food processor until fine.
- Cake Flour - The lightest, softest texture will come from using cake flour. You can use all-purpose flour - just make sure you sift it at least twice.
- Cream of Tartar - This helps to stabilise the meringue and keep a strong structure. If you don't have it, you can use 1 teaspoon of lemon juice instead, but it may not whip quite as well.
See the recipe card for quantities and the full recipe.
On Separating Eggs:
It's super important that no yolk or fat gets into the whites - even a tiny speck can sabotage your meringue. Cold eggs separate more cleanly, so crack them one at a time into a small bowl before adding the whites to your main bowl (this way a sneaky yolk won't ruin the whole batch). Then let the whites come to room temperature before whipping for maximum volume.
Things You'll Need
- Tube pan - You need a specific angel food cake pan for this recipe, not a bundt pan. The sponge cake needs straight edges and a tube through the middle so it can climb up the sides of the pan and make the cake rise properly. It also needs a removable bottom so you can easily remove the cake from the pan.
- Stand mixer - with a whisk attachment. Or an electric mixer.
- Fine-mesh sieve
- Spatula
How To Make Angel Food Cake
Quick intro sentence if there is anything relevant to mention here.
Whip Egg Whites
Combine egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer and whip on low speed for 1-2 minutes until they are white and frothy.
Add Sugar
Gradually turn the mixer up to medium-high speed.
Add the sugar to the whipped egg whites, one tablespoon at a time, whipping for about 15-20 seconds in between additions to allow the sugar to incorporate fully and make a glossy meringue.
Whip to Firm Peaks
Once all the sugar is added, add the vanilla and whip until the meringue forms firm peaks (medium peaks).
Rub a little bit of the meringue between your fingers; it should be smooth - if it is gritty, continue to whip until the sugar dissolves.
What do firm peaks look like?
One of the biggest mistakes with angel food cake is either overwhipping or underwhipping the meringue. You need it to be firmer than soft peaks but not as firm as stiff peaks. Here is what to look for:
- Meringue forms a peak that droops over in a hook shape.
- If you draw a trench in the meringue, it holds for a few seconds before slowly filling back in.
Sift Twice
Sift the cake flour and salt together into a bowl, then sift it again - the extra aeration will help give the cake a tender crumb.
Fold Dry Ingredients
Sprinkle the flour mixture into the meringue with the sieve in 3 batches. Fold it in gently with a spatula in between each addition.
Be careful not to overmix - it's better to have a few streaks of flour than to knock too much air out of the egg whites.
Pour Into Tube Pan
Put the angel food cake batter into an ungreased tube pan, smooth it out, then drag a skewer through the batter to break up any large air pockets.
Bake
Bake immediately for 35-40 minutes until the top of the angel food cake is golden brown all over and springs back when lightly pressed.
A skewer should come out completely clean.
Remove from the oven and immediately turn the pan upside down. If your tube pan has little feet on the bottom, rest it on those. If it doesn't, place the pan upside down over a wire cooling rack.
Remove From Pan
Once the cake is completely cool, use a spatula or knife to run around the edges of the cake pan to help release it, then give the base of the pan a few taps, and the cooled cake should come out.
Dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar.
Angel Cake Recipe Tips and Key Takeaways
If you only read one section - make it this. All these tips are explained properly in the post, but here is a summary of the most important things to pay attention to when making angel food cake.
- Use fresh, room-temp eggs. Fresh whites whip higher and more reliably than carton eggs.
- Separate carefully. Even a tiny bit of yolk or fat will ruin the foam - crack cold eggs one at a time before adding the whites to your bowl.
- Start with a clean bowl. Any grease on the bowl or whisk can stop the whites from whipping. Use a glass or metal bowl.
- Whip gradually. Starting slow builds stronger, finer air bubbles that won't collapse in the oven.
- Stop at firm peaks. Soft peaks won't hold, stiff peaks won't expand. You want peaks that stand, then gently curl.
- Sift the flour twice. To aerate it and keep the cake light.
- Bake until springy. The top should bounce back immediately when pressed.
- Cool upside down. If you don't, the cake will collapse under its own weight.
How To Serve Angel Food Cake
Angel food cake is so simple, it really doesn't need much to shine. You want to serve it with toppings that complement rather than overpower the delicate flavor.
- Simple - one of the best ways to enjoy this cake is just plain - I like to serve it with a dusting of powdered sugar and some fresh fruit on the side.
- Strawberries and cream - You can't go wrong with a dollop of homemade whipped cream and fresh berries.
- Strawberry sauce - A drizzle of strawberry coulis is a wonderful way to add flavor - or you can mix it into the batter to make a Strawberry Angel Food Cake.
- Vanilla glaze - a little bit of simple vanilla icing can complement fluffy angel food cakes perfectly.
- Custard sauce - Pour a generous helping of crème anglaise over a slice of your homemade cake.
Tip: Slice with a serrated knife - it cuts through the delicate cake easily without squashing it.
Troubleshooting
There are quite a few things that can go wrong with a homemade angel food cake if you don't know what to look out for. Here are some of the most common mistakes:
Cake collapsed or sank
Caused by overwhipped whites, sugar added too quickly, underbaking, or cooling upright. Angel food cake must be baked until set and cooled upside down to hold its structure.
Dense or rubbery texture
Usually from too much flour or over-folding, which knocks the air out of the batter.
Sticky or gummy top
The cake is underbaked - the top should feel dry and spring back lightly when you press on it.
Cake didn't rise
Usually down to underwhipped meringue, fat or yolk in the egg whites, or a greased pan, which stops the batter from climbing.
Cake broke coming out of the pan
Happens when the cake isn't fully cooled or is released too forcefully. Cool completely upside down, then run a knife around the edges before removing.
Storage
Store your angel food cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for a week. Bring it back to room temp before serving.
More Light and Airy Cakes
If it's a light dessert or super soft cake you're looking for, try some of these light dessert recipes:
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Recipe
Angel Food Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 large Egg Whites 400g (fresh, room temperature)
- 1 ½ cups Superfine Sugar 300g
- 1 teaspoon Cream of Tartar
- 1 ¼ cups Cake Flour 140g
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Equipment
- Stand Mixer with Whisk Attachment
- Tube Pan see notes
- Spatula
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F / 180°C (or 160°C fan assisted).
- Whip the egg whites and cream of tartar together on low speed for 1-2 minute suntil they are white and frothy.12 large (400 g) Egg Whites, 1 teaspoon Cream of Tartar
- Gradually turn the speed up to medium-high speed. Don't start with high speed as this will create larger air bubbles which will be less stable and may cause your cake to collapse.
- Add the sugar, one tablespoon at a time, letting it whip for about 15 seconds in between each addition to allow it to incorporate fully.1 ½ cups (300 g) Superfine Sugar
- Once all the sugar is added, add the vanilla and whip until the meringue forms firm peaks. This means a peak that droops over on itself into a hook shape. See the post above for an example. Rub a little bit of the meringue between your fingers, it should be smooth - if it is gritty, continue to whip until the sugar dissolves.1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- Add the salt to the cake flour, then sift the mixture twice - the extra aeration will help give the cake a tender crumb.¼ teaspoon (¼ tsp) Salt, 1 ¼ cups (140 g) Cake Flour
- Add the flour to the meringue in 3 batches - use the sieve to gently sprinkle the flour into the batter rather than dumping it on top. Gently fold in each lot of flour until it's almost completely incorporated before adding in the next. It's better to have a few streaks of flour than to knock too much air out of the batter.
- Spoon the cake batter into an ungreased tube pan. Level it out, then run a skewer or toothpick through the batter a few times to release any big air bubbles.
- Bake immediately for 35-40 minutes until the top of the angel food cake is golden brown all over and springs back when lightly pressed. A skewer should come out completely clean.
- Remove from the oven and immediately turn the pan upside down. If your tube pan has little feet on the bottom, rest it on those. If it doesn't, place the pan upside down over a wire cooling rack. Let the cake cool completely in the pan.
- Once the cake is completely cool, use a spatula or knife to run around the edge of the cake pan to help release it, then give the bottom a few taps and the cake should come out.
- Serve with chantilly cream and fresh berries.
Nutrition
Notes
Ingredient Notes
- Egg Whites - It's best to use fresh egg whites as they will whip up better than carton egg whites. See my post on what to make with leftover egg yolks. Be careful not to get any egg yolk or fat in the whites at all as this will stop them from whipping up.
- Cream of Tartar - This helps keep the whipped egg whites stable, which is important for baking. If you don't have cream of tartar, you can use 1 teaspoon of lemon juice instead, but the results won't be quite as good.
UK Baking Guidance:
If you are making this recipe in the UK, you only need 10 eggs rather than 12, as British eggs are larger than North American ones.Also, superfine sugar is the equivalent of caster sugar in the UK.
See more differences between UK and US baking ingredients.
Hi, I'm Jules!
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