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. 🙂
Print
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
Thanks so much!
i am wondering if small eggs would work if i added more of them.. My neighbor gave me 36 small eggs from their new little chickens. Please let me know if they would work in this recipe or if you have any ideas on what i can make with them..
Hi Eleanor, a large egg white is usually about 30g, so you’ll need 360g for this recipe. Enjoy!
Tried it 2x, first with elderflower extract and now, lemon extract. Both very good. Thank you.
I am not a baker, so I was super nervous, but this came out perfectly!! I followed every instruction and ingredient, but did also add a touch of almond extract. So fluffy with a perfect light crust.
I want this for my birthday it looks so good
I want this for my birthday
Sally, I’m a huge fan of your site. Great features, (hello, Cook Mode!), and always consistent results with your recipes. I’m getting ready to try your angel food cake recipe. My mom always made them, but she always turned the pan over, and placed it on an upright glass Pepsi bottle to cool, keeping the cake from touching a rack:)
I don’t what I did wrong! I followed the recipe but it never made peaks.
Hi Jill, We are happy to help troubleshoot. Make sure you begin with just egg whites. Not even a drop of egg yolk, as any fat mixed in will not allow the egg whites to form peaks. Make sure the bowl you’re using (and even the whisk!) is completely wiped clean with no oil or residue on it. You can even wipe your bowl and whisk with some lemon juice or vinegar before using to make sure there is absolutely no residue. Also, Make sure you don’t skip the cream of tartar. This will stabilize your meringue.
I normally just buy an Angel Food cake mix since they’re so easy and very good but your recipe is so easy I gave it a try and I won’t be buying the mix again! I like to mix fresh fruit (blueberries or chopped strawberries work very well) with whipped cream, cut a trench in the top of the cake, and fill it with the fruit mix. I put some of the excavated cake on top, frost the whole thing with more whipped cream, the last of the excavated cake on top of that and a drizzle of corresponding fruit glaze. It never lasted more than 10 minutes at any work pot luck or barbeque I took it to! They won’t last 5 minutes at get togethers this year with your recipe as the base! You just took my dessert to another level!
So glad you loved this recipe, Casey!
I’m looking forward to trying this recipe. I don’t have a food processor or a blender to pulverize the sugar. Can I use powdered sugar instead?
Hi Jane! No, powdered sugar is too fine for this cake. Granulated sugar would be better.
When my dad asked me to make an angel food cake for his birthday, the first place I turned to for a recipe was Sally’s. All I have ever heard was how difficult it is to make Angel Food Cake and I was a little intimidated. Well, Sally came through again. I made an absolutely perfect Angel Food Cake on my first try! I did end up needing a bit more cream of tartar to help my eggs set, but that is because I ended up adding an extra egg white on accident I think. It looked absolutely perfect when it came out of the oven, did not collapse, and I agonized over how the inside would be all day long. I was so relieved when we cut into it to reveal the perfect spongy texture. Thanks Sally, you never let me down!
This is my very first Angel Food Cake and one of few I’ve made. I followed the directions and I nailed it! Cake flour a must.
I made this yesterday for a family member’s birthday dinner. It came out GREAT! One of the people said it was the best angel food cake they’d ever eaten! It was delicious. *** I will note, however, that preparation took much longer than 25 mins. Most of that was running around trying to find the various equipment I needed. Next time I’ll know to gather all the equipment first (blender, sieve, etc).
Can this recipe be done for cupcakes? I would like to make individual servings for an upcoming party.
Hi Renee, follow this recipe for Angel Food Cupcakes.
Great recipe! I used it to make cake rolls..it does 1.5 rolls thìck or a thin 2.. they shrink some in humidity upon rolling though.
QUESTION: can you add the caloric value to the recipe?
Hi Sandy, we’re so glad you enjoyed this recipe! We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
Can’t wait to try this recipe!!
Do you have a recipe for GF soft pretzels?
Hi Arlene, we haven’t tested a gluten free version of our soft pretzels. Although some readers report using an all-purpose 1:1 gluten-free flour in many of our recipes with success, you should expect slightly different results anytime you substitute ingredients.
I have made this recipe eight times in the last month and a half. It turns out perfect every time. My friends love it and are always asking for more. Thanks for such a great recipe.
I have tried to make angel food cake (and failed) so many times! The only reason why I didn’t give up is because I make crème brûlée so much that I have countless egg whites floating around my house at all times lol anyway, I finally got it! Thank you for the tip of not beating the egg whites too much. That was the key. I was able to incorporate all the sugar and flour beautifully and look at the crumb!
I followed the recipe and instructions without any changes and I will say that this is by far the best angel food cake that I’ve ever had. We are fortunate enough to live on a farm and to have chickens so I’m happy that we had fresh eggs for this cake. Made it twice in two weeks.Thank you for sharing this recipe.
So glad to hear it, Gary!
I made this with wonderful results! Family loved it with fresh strawberry puree. I’m wondering if I could substitute vanilla sugar for the regular sugar called for in the recipe? Thinking it may impart additional flavor, but not sure if it would be appropriate in this cake.
So glad you enjoyed this cake! Yes, you can use vanilla sugar with no other changes to the recipe.
This was my first attempt at making angel food cake and I am so pleased with the result!
I have made this cake twice and it’s absolutely delicious. Five stars all the way
Do you happen to know how the filled angel food cakes are done? I had them in NYC, they were delicious but I cannot find a recipe
Hi Amy! We’ve never made a filled angel food cake ourselves, but usually you would cut a channel in the baked cake and hollow out a section to fill, like King Arthur does with this Strawberry Filled Angel Food Cake: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/strawberry-filled-angel-food-cake-recipe Looks delicious! Let us know if you give it a try.
I absolutely LOVE this recipe! I have done a few things to make it so easy to whip a cake together in a pinch!!!! My family loves when I make this.
Hey i love your recipes. I can’t wait to try this! I was wondering if it would be fine to use superfine sugar rather than granulated sugar blended?
Hi Bianca! You can use the superfine sugar in the same amount. 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. Happy baking!
Angel food cake holds a very special place in my heart – my grandma would bake it every summer when I would fly out to California to visit. This recipe takes me right back to memories of sunshine, swimming and enjoying cake on the patio while I dried off, and most importantly, my grandma. It is perfection. Thank you so much for this recipe and the tips for success! I’m a pretty decent baker, but those extra tips really help so much.
HI Sally–Is it possible to add freeze dried strawberries to this cake? I used the strawberry frosting last time and everyone loved it, so wondering if a bit of flavor in the cake as well would be good? Thanks!
Hi Martha, we haven’t tested it with freeze-dried strawberries, so aren’t sure of the result. If you try it, please let us know how it turns out!
Hi Sally would vanilla sugar work in this recipe ? Also, using the No tube pan hack, could I bake it in 9×12 pan? I like to cut the chair into square chunks for a truffle dessert in individual serving dishes thank you!
Hi Vicki, vanilla sugar sounds delicious in this! Make sure to still pulse it as directed in the recipe instructions.
I’ve used lavender sugar before and it turned out delicious! I believe I used 3/4 cup lavender sugar and 1 cup regular sugar. This recipe is divine 😉
This is my go to recipe for angel food cake.
1 Question thought. In,your picture your cake came out of the pan so beautifully How do u do that? Mine looks like,rough edges from running a knife around it releasing it
Hi Helen, it may come down to your pan. Some pans stick more than others. Sally uses this tube pan that’s very lightly nonstick-coated.
Sally, you are the GOAT of baking!❤️ Recipe was great with all the details! My egg whites were peaking softly at 2.5 min and I was uncertain if I should keep going to 5 min and run risk of them getting too firm. Because of your caution about too stiff peaks, I stopped and it was the right call!! It turned out perfect! Interesting note – it did bake for 60 min before toothpick came clean. Thank you!!
Thank you, mine turned out great