Using only 6 ingredients, this perfect angel food cake bakes up tall, light, and airy. For best results, follow this recipe and video tutorial closely. The delicate texture can only be achieved with particular ingredients and careful mixing methods.
Ready for a slice of dessert heaven? We are no stranger to decadent and rich cakes. But what about a cake recipe where butter, fat, and egg yolks run away in fright? Meet angel food cake. Angel food cake is a low fat cake recipe made mostly from egg whites, cake flour, and sugar. It’s pristine white on the inside with a chewy light brown crumb around the exterior. What it lacks in butter makes up for in texture. This tall, tender, and timeless cake has a cloud-like crumb and ultra light flavor.
I’ve published angel food cupcakes on my blog, but now it’s time visit where they originate: classic homemade angel food cake!
Angel Food Cake Video Tutorial
Let’s dive right in. First, here’s a video tutorial where I walk you through each step. The steps and ingredients are pretty straightforward, but it’s always helpful to have a clear visual. 🙂
6 Angel Food Cake Ingredients
You only need 6 ingredients to make angel food cake. With so little ingredients, understand that each one is imperative to the cake’s final taste and texture. Here’s the breakdown:
- Granulated Sugar: The recipe begins with granulated sugar. Pulse it in a food processor to create superfine sugar. Superfine sugar’s granules are the best size to provide optimal structure for angel food cake. It’s not as coarse as granulated sugar and not as fine as confectioners’ sugar. Granulated sugar is simply too coarse, while confectioners’ sugar dissolves too quickly in the egg whites.
- Cake Flour: Cake flour is a low protein flour and yields a tender angel food cake. Do not use all-purpose flour because the cake will taste like white bread…! In a pinch, you can use this cake flour substitute. But real cake flour is ideal.
- Salt: Adds flavor.
- Egg Whites: You’ll notice there’s no baking powder or baking soda. The egg whites are actually the sole leavening ingredient providing all the cake’s rise. Use freshly separated eggs because they aerate the best. Carton egg whites or egg whites that have been frozen won’t expand as much during the whipping process, which will negatively affect the rise of your cake. You’ll have a lot of leftover egg yolks, so make some lemon curd and serve it with the cake!
- Cream of Tartar: Cream of tartar is an acid and stabilizes the whipped egg whites, just as it does in my chocolate swirled meringue cookies too. Without it, the cake would collapse. Other acids, such as lemon juice, can work but they aren’t nearly as effective. Cream of tartar is found in the spice aisle and is actually a common baking ingredient. I have many recipes calling for it!
- Vanilla Extract: Adds flavor.
How to Make Perfect Angel Food Cake
I’m confident this will be the most perfect angel food cake to ever hit your lips. We can’t achieve angel food cake perfection for free, so make sure you follow these steps closely.
- Pulse the granulated sugar into superfine sugar. Use a food processor or blender.
- Set 1 cup of the superfine sugar aside. You’ll add it to the egg whites.
- Add cake flour and salt to food processor. Pulse them with the remaining sugar. This aerates the dry ingredients.
- Beat egg whites and cream of tartar together. Beat on medium-low speed until foamy.
- Slowly add 1 cup of superfine sugar. Turn the mixer up to medium-high and pour in the superfine sugar you set aside.
- Beat into soft peaks. Whip the egg whites, cream of tartar, and superfine sugar into soft and lofty peaks. This takes at least 5 minutes. After that, add the vanilla.
- Sift and fold in dry ingredients. In 3 additions, sift and fold in the dry ingredients.
- Pour/spread batter into a tube pan. Do not grease the tube pan. Greasing the pan causes the batter to slip down the sides, preventing it from properly rising. If you already greased it, wash and wipe it completely clean.
- Bake at 325°F (163°C). A higher temperature won’t properly cook the cake.
- Cool upside down on a wire rack. If cooled upright, the cake’s own weight will crush itself. Cool it upside-down on a cooling rack so it holds its shape and air can reach it.
- Run a thin knife around the edges to release. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to help loosen the cake, too.
- Slice with a serrated knife. A regular sharp knife squishes the cake.
Can I use a Bundt pan for angel food cake? No, do not use a Bundt pan for angel food cake. You’ll have a very hard time getting it out in one piece. You need a tube pan which has a flat bottom and straight sides. If you don’t have one, I recommend this tube pan. It’s relatively inexpensive for its great quality. Though it’s labeled as nonstick, the coating is VERY thin and has never been an issue for my angel food cakes.
And good news: here’s a helpful trick for how to bake angel food cake without a tube pan.
You need 1 cup (16 Tablespoons) + 2 Tablespoons of cake flour. Sounds like an odd amount, but 18 Tablespoons is the precise quantity to bring enough structure to the cake.
Soft Peaks, Not Stiff Peaks
Remember, whip the egg whites into soft peaks. (Pictured above.) Soft peaks don’t hold a stiff shape. Instead, they “wilt” back into the mixture after a few seconds. Soft peaks are the optimum consistency because they’ll continue to expand in the oven. Stiff peaks, on the other hand, means that the egg whites have been over-whipped for angel food cake and will likely collapse in the oven.
Important to remember: Don’t let a drop of egg yolks into the mixing bowl. Any lingering fat could prevent the egg whites from forming peaks at all. Crack eggs over an egg separator into a small bowl, then add the whites one-by-one into the mixing bowl. This way if the yolk breaks, it doesn’t break directly in the mixing bowl.
Sift the dry ingredients over the beaten egg whites in a few additions, gently folding together after each addition. The goal is to retain as much of the whipped volume as possible. Pouring the dry ingredients on top all at once will quickly deflate the egg whites.
The Magic is in the Details
I’ve thrown a lot of information at you in this post, so here’s a quick summary of all the important success tips. Remember that the magic is all in the details.
- Use freshly separated egg whites.
- Pulse granulated sugar into superfine sugar.
- Whip egg whites into soft peaks, not stiff peaks.
- Sift and gently fold in dry ingredients.
- Do not grease the tube pan.
- Cool the cake upside-down on a wire rack.
- Use a serrated knife to slice.
Helpful Tools
- Food Processor – These range in price. You can use a little ninja, a big food processor, or even a blender.
- Egg Separator – This is very inexpensive, but SO HANDY!
- Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer
- Fine Mesh Strainer (Sieve/Sifter)
- Tube Pan
- Cooling Rack
Want to make angel food cupcakes? I have you covered.
Angel food cake doesn’t need to hide under frosting, but tastes blissful with fresh berries, raspberry sauce, and/or a dollop of whipped cream! Feel free to dust the top with confectioners’ sugar, too. If you enjoy these flavors together, you’ll love my fresh berry cream cake. (Which, if I’m being honest, isn’t quite as fussy as this cake!)
I know what you’re thinking: is this cake really worth it? The answer is YES. Angel food cake boasts a texture like no other and once you go through the process, you’ll understand the preparation isn’t that difficult—it’s just a little picky. 😉 Let’s do this!
See Your Angel Food Cakes!
Many readers tried this recipe as part of a baking challenge! Feel free to email or share your recipe photos with us on social media. 🙂
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Angel Food Cake
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours
- Yield: serves 10-12
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Using only 6 ingredients, this perfect angel food cake bakes up tall, light, and airy. For best results, read the recipe in full before beginning and have all your ingredients ready to go. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 and 3/4 cups (350g) granulated sugar*
- 1 cup + 2 Tablespoons (133g) cake flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 12 large egg whites, at room temperature*
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- optional: confectioners’ sugar for dusting, whipped cream, and berries
Instructions
- Adjust the oven rack to the lower middle position and preheat oven to 325°F (163°C).
- In a food processor or blender, pulse the sugar until fine and powdery. Remove 1 cup and set aside to use in step 3; keep the rest inside the food processor. Add the cake flour and salt to the food processor. Pulse 5-10 times until sugar/flour/salt mixture is aerated and light.
- In a large bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip egg whites and cream of tartar together on medium-low until foamy, about 1 minute. Switch to medium-high and slowly add the 1 cup of sugar you set aside. Whip until soft peaks form, about 5-6 minutes. See photo and video above for a visual. Add the vanilla extract, then beat just until incorporated.
- In 3 additions, slowly sift the flour mixture into the egg white mixture using a fine mesh strainer, gently folding with a rubber spatula after each addition. To avoid deflating or a dense cake, don’t add the flour mixture all at once. Sift and very slowly fold in several additions. This is important! Pour and spread batter into an ungreased 9 or 10 inch tube pan. Shimmy the pan on the counter to smooth down the surface.
- Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 40-45 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through baking. The cake will rise up very tall while baking. Remove from the oven, then cool the cake completely upside-down set on a wire rack, about 3 hours. (Upside-down so the bottom of the tube pan is right-side up, see photo and video above.) Once cooled, run a thin knife around the edges and gently tap the pan on the counter until the cake releases.
- If desired, dust with confectioners’ sugar. Slice the cake with a sharp serrated knife. Regular knives can easily squish the cake. Serve with whipped cream and fresh berries.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Prepare the angel food cake one day in advance, then cover tightly and store at room temperature overnight. Angel food cake can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Blender or Food Processor | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Egg Separator | Fine Mesh Sieve | Silicone Spatula | Tube Pan | Cooling Rack
- Sugar: In this recipe, you use granulated sugar and pulse it in a food processor to make superfine sugar. If you have superfine sugar or caster sugar, use that. Pulse 3/4 cup of it with the dry ingredients in step 2. Use 1 cup of it in step 3.
- Egg Whites: I strongly recommend using fresh real egg whites instead of egg white substitutes, previously frozen egg whites, or egg whites from a carton. Separate the eggs when they’re cold, then bring the egg whites to room temperature. Fresh room temperature egg whites whip into the fluffiest volume. With the extra yolks, make lemon curd or some of these recipes.
- Pan: An angel food cake pan (aka tube pan) is imperative. Do not use a Bundt pan. Angel food cake’s structure and stability requires the tube pan’s particular specifications. Some angel food cake pans come with little feet, which makes cooling the cake upside down easy. If your pan has feet, no need to use a wire rack. Whether your tube pan has feet or not, cool the cake upside down as directed in step 5.
- Party Angel Food Cake: Turn this cake into a party by gently folding in 1/2 cup of rainbow sprinkles before pouring and spreading the batter into the tube pan. Once cake is ready to serve, skip the confectioners’ sugar and top with chocolate ganache and more sprinkles.
Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated
Reader Comments and Reviews
I had six egg whites left over from making a pastry creme recipe so I decided to try doing half of this recipe with some trepidation. It turned out fabulous. The baking times are about the same, but you end up with what looks like a giant, angel food donut and it was fabulous! This is a great recipe and a with wonderful instructions that yields some serious deliciousness.
I thought I didn’t like Angel food cake but I tried this recipe for my husband. I discovered that the only reason I previously didn’t like angel food cake was I had only tasted terrible cakes. This cake was delicious. It was so light and had a great flavor. Perfect for summer get togethers. The directions were easy to follow and it didn’t take much time. Thank you so much for this recipe.
This is my go to recipe! Turns out amazing every time, if not it’s because I’ve rushed it. Thank you!!!
Perfect angel food cake recipe! The directions were easy to follow and had very important instructions that I can see now were critical in this coming out so well. I really appreciate the video that I could watch before I made it too. My first great angel food cake! Thank you!
Great cake!!!! Followed the directions exactly. Except accidentally used 3tbs of tartar…. instead of 3 tsp….. nevermind. it didn’t matter.
Hi Sally! Can this be made as a chocolate version? And if so, what do I add (I’m figuring cocoa powder?) in what amount, and do I need to then reduce the amount of flour? Thanks!
LOVE every recipe that I’ve ever made on your site and so does my sister!!
Hi Vicki, thank you so much fro making our recipes! We haven’t tested a chocolate angel food cake. If you try it, let us know how it goes!
I made this cake for a special order. I followed the instructions exactly, and it was flawless! Customer wanted fluffy white frosting (separate recipe), I obliged. It was a perfect vintage homage to a cake from their childhood. Get this, he even told his sister it was better than grandma’s! Ultimate best compliment! I will always use this recipe for angel food cake.
Love this recipe too. Angel food is likely my favorite cake and the first time I made this recipe it turned out perfect. I’ve made it a few times more. I have had some issues with it falling somewhat in the center. I think the first time I didn’t really pay attention to whether or not the peaks were soft or stiff. I have since attempted to stop at soft peaks, but I am still getting the settling. I do use previously frozen egg whites. I make homemade ice cream using the yolks so easily have extra whites. The time it turned out perfect was also made with previously frozen egg whites. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Love you site. It is my go to when looking for a recipe. Thank you.
Hi Lisa, try beating the egg whites until they’re a little past soft peaks. That may help when using previously frozen egg whites. So beat until soft peaks, then beat for several more seconds (10-15). That’s what I would try first to help remedy the issue.
I’ve made this cake about 5 times now. Perfect every time. Thank you for taking the time to post this recipe.
Holy crap! I’ve had my share of store-bought and boxed angel food cake, and I was under the mistaken belief that a homemade angel food cake “wasn’t worth the effort.” Boy was I wrong. This recipe is incredible, and my family is raving about how impressed they are. I feel so proud!
Simple, effective and tasty. Used regularly for the last 3 years as the Mrs loves Angel food cake, and it is a hit for her birthday.
NOTES:
– weigh the ingredients for best results (cups are not as accurate & the ratios matter)
– definitely sift the flour
– fold in gently in multiple steps … doesn’t need to be perfectly mixed, but does need small increments
– cool stood upside down on a wine bottle (neck fits the center hole nicely)!
If I am adding almond extract, how much should I add and what adjustment should I make to the vanilla?
Hi Melissa! Almond extract would be lovely in this. We recommend about 1/2 or 3/4 teaspoon – it’s pretty potent. No need to reduce the vanilla. Happy baking!
I have made angel food cake before, so I was skeptical about pulsing the sugar and the three additions of flour, but man, was I wrong! After the cake was cool, we cut two pieces, and couldn’t stop! That’s not unusual for me, but hubby usually likes cream and berries on his. I think it was over whipped (new mixer syndrome), and it didn’t turn out as tall as yours, but the texture was divine! Hubby calls it “cloud cake.” Oh yeah, this’ll be a repeat at our house 🙂 Thanks so much!
I made this recipe for my Dad’s birthday last year and I will seriously NEVER have store-bought angel food cake again! He’s been asking for an ice cream cake version of this recipe, but I wanted to check with you first. Can I slice lengthwise once it’s cooled, wrap and freeze, then spread softened ice cream in between the layers and freeze again before serving? Thank you for being his cake of choice for another year!
Absolutely! I love making ice cream cakes with angel food cake using your exact method. It’s such a light cake, so it still tastes light after freezing with ice cream. I’m glad you love this recipe!
Is it possible to make this gluten free?
Hi Sue, we haven’t tested a gluten-free version of this cake. If you do, we’d love to know how it turns out for you!
This recipe, just like other recipes I’ve tried from Sally, is amazing! The cake turned out great and is delicious!!
Sally thanks to your recipe and video, my first attempt at making the Angel food cake has been
GREAT! With it I’ve made a Rum Cake and it was perfect and so ,so, good, thanks to you.
So glad you’re enjoying our recipes, Ella!
Baked for a June birthday celebration and was told it was the cake of the year! Everyone went for seconds.
If your oven runs cool, be sure to bump the temp up a few degrees or plan to bake a few extra minutes.
This recipe is epic. My first time making angel food cake – it’s always been a bit intimidating. I love making meringue though so your recipe looked do-able. It came out PERFECT! I didn’t have the right pan so I used two loaf tins and it worked great. I had to read the recipe twice to see where the vanilla went though.
This recipe sounds awesome. How would it turn out using maybe 3 8inch pans, making it as a layered cake with frosting and berries?
Hi Linda, A tube pan is really imperative for angel food cake to bake up properly. We really haven’t tried baking this batter in smaller cake pans for a layered cake. However, you could assemble a layered cake from this baked and cooled angel food cake (baked in a traditional tube pan). Use a serrated knife to cut into layers and fill with whipped cream.
I have been making Angel food cake for over 30yrs as it’s a family favourite. My old recipe called for confectionery sugar (icing sugar), and it was always very good.
I tried your recipe last week and was told it was my best ever. From now on caster sugar and your recipe is our family favourite.
Thank you from the Schwartz household
Hi Susan, we are so glad your family loved this cake! Thank you for trying this recipe.
This is my first try at making Angel food Cake and I am a bit nervous. I both a pan and I see that the bottom part is detach. Is this OK.
Thank you for your replay Sally.
Hi Ella, yes! A removable bottom is fine. Hope you enjoy the cake!
Hey, how many cups of egg whites does 12 eggs make? Just trying to scale the recipe up a bit. Thanks
12 egg whites will be just about 1 and 1/2 cups.
MAKE IT!
I made this for Father’s Day and I was so nervous about how it would turn out but it was a huuuge hit! They ended up eating just the sponge alone without strawberries and whipped cream! It’s delicious. Not too sweet, it’s perfect. If you’re nervous about how technical the recipe is, watch the video and read all her tips and tricks and you’ll do great! I’m going to make this for my kids one year birthday party. Thank you for the recipe! It’s amazing!
Am I losing it or are the recipe instructions silent to when add the vanilla?
See the end of step 3!
This was a hit! We love Angel food cake and this will be my go to recipe from now on.
Yikes. Too sweet! And 40-45 min cook time isn’t long enough. Close, but disappointing. Especially using a DOZEN eggs. Sorry, but no repeat here. Looked pretty tough….
Did you test the top of your cake before removing it from the oven? What i do is touch the cracks and make sure that they are dry and not sticky. Also definitely make sure you cool it upside down.
I’ve got superfine sugar that I bought. So would I use the same amount as the “regular” granulated sugar in the recipe above??
Thank you.
Hi Robin, correct! You can use the superfine sugar in the same amount. If so, no need to pulse the 1 cup of superfine sugar that you’ll add to the egg whites. Still pulse the remaining 3/4 sugar with the dry ingredients though.
Thank you – you saved me! I’ve been making a store-bought angel cake stuffed with fresh fruit and home-made whipping cream for my son’s birthday since he was 1 year old…it’s his favorite. Last birthday before he heads out to college and could not find an angel food cake to save my life. Because, supply chain or something.
Googled this recipe as a desperate last attempt, ran down to store to by a Tube pan – an voila! Great tips and hacks – really good food blog! And, no-one was more surprised than me that it turned out just as pictured/promised. Thank you!
I love this recipe! My daughter and her husband say it’s the best angel food cake they ever had!
love it. i have had great success with a Walmart nonstick bundt pan as well