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
This is a great recipe. My granddaughter said “ nonnie this is the best cake you have ever made me! ” No other words are needed.
Thanks Sally.
I didn’t have a tube pan, so I tried your advice how to do it. I was sceptical if this works but the result was great and the Cake is sooo delicious :). Thank you!
I made this angel food cake today. Can highly recommend it! These are my tips if you plan on making it:
#1 I made this is an 8inch/20cm springform and halved the recipe for it. Since I don’t have a tube pan, I made a DIY version and used a can in the center of a springform. Worked like a charm. I believe that my cake was a bit flatter, if you have an 8inch tube pan, you probably would need x0.75 of the recipe.
#2 Here in Germany there is no cake flour, so I replaced it with 90 grams of all-purpose flour and 40 grams of cornstarch. At least from the pictures it feels like it worked just the same.
#3 As always I reduced the amount of sugar, you will have no structure problems with as little as 280 grams of sugar.
Thank you so much Sally for this challenge!
Strawberry shortcake is my all time favorite and this recipe is soooo good!
I have always loved angel food cake but was too intimidated to try making it. Once again, you broke it down in a way that made me think, “what’s it hurt to TRY?” Thank goodness! This is so delicious! I was nervous when mine did puff up all the way to the edge of the pan but it turned out tall, puffy and DELICIOUS! Thank you!!
Angel food cake is one of my absolute faves and this version makes one of the best I’ve ever had. The instructions are crystal clear resulting in an angel food cake that light, sweet and positively delicious. I own a tube pan purely so I can make angel food cakes and I’ve now found the all-time best recipe for it. Thank you so much for a great recipe and some truly fantastic tricks!
This is a delicious and simple angle food cake recipe. The texture and flavor are perfect for any type of sauce or topping. It is even good plain! The directions are great and when using a stand mixer this cake goes together very easily.
This recipe was perfect!! The texture of the cake is extra light, fluffy and it’s not dry. I added lemon zest to it, so yummy. The detailed steps and tips really helpful! Thanks
This recipe worked really well! We had a nice light and fluffy angel food cake, with a side of frozen custard to use up all of those egg yolks. Did end up using two bread loaf pans instead of a tube pan because I couldn’t find mine for the life of me, and it worked just fine.
I’ve always been intimidated by whipping egg whites into peaks for some reason but your recipes are always so approachable that I begin them without fear. Didn’t know I liked angel food cake until now! Thanks again Sally
I got a stand mixer yesterday and your angel food cake was the very first thing I made. It was really so easy and the whole family loved it. 🙂
My birthday is in June, and after making this for the challenge, I want it for my birthday too! Thanks so much!
Can you use egg whites from the carton?
Hi Donna, I don’t recommend carton egg whites. See recipe notes.
On my first try the cake turned out beautifully!
My dad loved it and was super impressed it was made from scratch.
My first time ever making Angel Food cake from scratch and, of course, it turned out amazing – Sally’s recipes never fail! Followed the recipe exactly and was super glad I did!
Thank you for always giving me confidence in the kitchen! ❤️
June is my birth month and angel food cake is 1 of my 2 all time faves for cake. (Number 2 is white wedding cake). I am baking this right now and have owned the pan for yrs yet never had the courage to try. Thanks for not only another simple recipe but 1 that is going to be made repeatedly at my house.
My friend requested a strawberry and vanilla cake trifle with whipped cream for her birthday cake. She said she likes light, airy cakes so I thought of this one. I was planning to make it in a 9 x 13 and cube it for the trifle, but now I see that making it outside of the tube pan may mess it up. Would the 9 x 13 be ok or should I use another recipe? Thanks!
Hi Sarah! I recommend sticking with a tube pan. If you don’t have one, perhaps use this white cake recipe for the trifle. You can bake it in a 9×13 inch cake pan.
I followed the recipe exactly, and it came out fluffy, moist, and delicious. I put homemade cardamom strawberry rhubarb sauce and whipped cream on top, and it was incredible! 100% worth the extra effort of homemade.
Easy to follow instructions. The cake came out perfectly. I’ve always loved angel food cake, but had no idea it was this easy to make! Thanks for the challenge!
Another fantastic baking challenge recipe! I have always wanted to make angel food cake, but have been intimidated by how difficult everyone has always told me it was to do. This recipe has easy steps to follow, and the video makes it a breeze. The cake baked up so tender and airy, and tastes delicious! It was a huge hit with my family. I will definitely add this to my baking rotation
If I have superfine sugar (baker’s sugar) do I still need to pulse it?
Hi Danica! See my recipe note. 🙂
This recipe is truly something fantastic. Angel food cake has been a staple in our family for a long time but I have never found the recipe that made me feel confident enough to make it. People were SO impressed with this cake. It’s light and fluffy and melts in your mouth. I like it best with strawberries and whipped cream. Thank you Sally!
This recipe is awesome!! I never would have thought I could make angel food cake but Sally makes it so easy! One of my biggest hits can’t wait to make it again!
This recipe was delicious and super easy! It took me two tries to actually get it to turn out but I loved the learning experience. All the toddlers loved it as did the adults. Will make again.
So easy to follow and worked despite having to improvise with tools. Perfect summer cake!!
Do you have a serrated knife that you recommend?
Thank you again for another great challenge recipe. I was so excited to make this because it reminds me of my husband’s grandma and the cakes she used to make for every family gathering!
Hi Holly! I’m so glad you tried this! I love my Wusthof knife set, but there are many quality knives out there.
This went so much better than I expected and I am so pleased with the result! I was definitely nervous, as I have never made this before, but it turned out exactly as pictured. It was so light and spongey and tastes excellent with fresh strawberries. So proud of myself for this one!
I just made this today for a friend’s birthday. I paired it with the lemon curd linked on this page, blueberries, and whipped cream. It was a huge hit!! Thank you for this yummy recipe!
I made this cake originally with gf flour, it was a complete flop. I was so bummed. Some of the family is gluten intolerant.
Well I really wanted to make this cake as the challenge so second time around cake flour it was. Delicious! No more words needed. Thanks for another awesome recipe.
A little intimidated with this recipe, but I had nothing to worry about. This turned out amazing. The perfect summer dessert! Thanks for the challenge, Sally!
It came out very beautiful! Tall and light like an angel cloud! Great recipe. Thank you again Sally.