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
I measured this out and did all the correct times, but when I never had peaks and some of the egg at the bottom poked like it wasn’t mixing in right.
Hi OlinP, We are happy to help troubleshoot. Make sure you begin with just room temperature 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.
Baked it for 45 min, clean toothpick and when I took out of oven and turned over to cool, it fell out of pan??!
Hi Marcia, make sure you aren’t deflating those egg whites at all during the mixing process. Use superfine sugar and fold the dry ingredients in in 3 separate additions. Under-baking could also be the culprit. It’s also very important not to grease the pan. We hope all of this can help for next time!
I’ve made this recipe twice and it turned out delicious both times! I have a question though. Both times I’ve made this cake, a lot of the outside sticks to the sides and bottom of my tube pan after baking, which makes my cake look like it has white and brown splotches. How can I prevent this from happening? I followed your recipe exactly and I’m thinking maybe my pan is the problem. Thanks in advance!
Hi Laura, thank you so much for giving this recipe a try! We’re glad you enjoyed it. Once cooled, run a thin knife around the edges then and gently tap the pan on the counter until the cake releases. Are you using a nonstick pan by chance?
Hi! Yes, I did use a nonstick pan and ran a thin knife around the edges and tapped to release. Would a different kind of pan work better?
Made this recipe and chanced it split between a ceramic monkey bread pan (it had a center core like a fluted pan) and a loaf pan. They’re not the prettiest but they are still super tasty! Would definitely make again and maybe I’ll splurge for the right pan next time.
This recipe won me first place at 2 state fairs. Turns out great!!
Could you add lemon extract and peel to this?
Hi Jay, we haven’t tested this recipe with lemon, but you could try replacing half of the vanilla with lemon extract — so half vanilla extract, half lemon extract. Adding a bit of lemon zest (to your taste) with the extracts would be delicious, too. Let us know what you try!
HiI measured 133g of flour but it is allot more than 1 cup and 2 tablespoons! I then tried 16 tablespoons of flour but again was more than 1 cup before adding the additional 2 tablespoons. Do I just measure 1 cup and 2 tablespoons and forget the rest? I don’t want to waste a dozen eggs by using too much or too little flour
Hi Janice, how do you measure the flour? Make sure to spoon and level (instead of scooping) to avoid packing in too much flour into your measuring cups – or use a kitchen scale. You can read more about properly measuring baking ingredients in this post.
Can’t believe how wonderful this turned out. Perfect texture, best flavor. I had one issue – the bottom (meaning the top while baking, bottom when flipped for serving) was a touch wet. I’m a little confused because the rest of it was baked perfectly, it kept its height and shape, and I cooled it the full 3 hours before releasing. Did it need a few more minutes in the oven?
Hi Cara, we’re so glad it was a hit! Is it particularly humid where you live? We wonder if the weather (humidity) is making the bottom a little moist. The warmer air as the cake cools, perhaps. A couple extra minutes of baking in the oven could help.
Thanks for the reply! It probably WAS humid. I will bake a few more minutes next time to see how it compares. Thanks!
Do i have to use a tube pan? i’d like to make a sheet cake to use for layers.
Hi Shelly, this cake is really best made in a tube pan. For a light 9×13-inch cake option, you might like this white cake recipe.
I loved this recipe so much. Made it this evening and we just had it for dessert. Thank you and love from South Africa
I have used this recipe twice, turned out perfect both times. Take your time, fold ingredients slowly!! I did use all purpose flour both times and it turned out fine
I made this for the first time and did not follow it exactly: I did not process the sugar because I used berry sugar which is the finer white sugar we get in Canada, and I thought it would be fine enough. I did not remember to let the egg whites come to room temperature first. I think I may have underwhipped the whites. And I did grease only the very bottom of the pan with a tiny tiny bit of butter – not the sides at all. Unfortunately some or all of these factors meant it did not rise well. But it was still delicious. Eaten with berry sauce and whipped cream or yoghurt.
Wha about caster sugar? I know that’s not as fine powdered but less granulated at regular sugar
Hi Amy, absolutely! 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.
I’ve never tried making angel food cake before but it turned out perfectly! Thank you!
I LOVE angel food cake! This recipe has easy to follow instructions and turns out perfect every time. Thank you Sally for the recipes they always turn out perfectly!
Why can’t we just use confectioner’s sugar?
Hi Isabel, In our experience, powdered/confectioners’ sugar dries out the angel food cake’s crumb. We recommend sticking with granulated sugar, but if you try anything else let us know how it goes!
I love this recipe but we are diabetics so I substituted Splenda Blend and it worked perfectly. Check the back of the Splenda blend bag for the equivalent amount called for in the recipe. Other than that, I followed this recipe to a T and everything was perfect!
Fool proof. If you follow the recipe exactly as Sally writes it, you will have a perfect angel food cake every time. I never thought I could make an angel food cake like my mom’s but now I know I will have a piece of heaven every time!!
My sister asked me to make Angel Food Cake for her birthday. She loved the results! To be honest I was unsure about the results, but this was my first attempt and it was delicious.
Great recipe! I’m a fan of your recipes. Keep up the great work.
I made this for the 4th of July with strawberries, blueberries and homemade whipped cream (make your own with 1 cup heavy cream, 1/2 c powdered sugar and 1 tsp of vanilla and you’ll never go back). I subbed almond extract for the extra 1/2 tsp and that was just *chef’s kiss*. At 325, this was “lightly brown” on the top, but I really should have let it go a bit longer because the sides were somehow hanging on while it cooled, but when I took it out of the pan the entire thing was “moist.” (I said what I said!) The bottom came off entirely and the top, by that time, if I pressed in lightly it just stuck to my hand and ripped off. Before having a nervous breakdown, (not really, I went upstairs and cried for a few mins thinking I can’t possibly serve this), I just dabbed the outside with a paper towel and cut it and it was GORGEOUS. Very fluffy and delicious flavor, but definitely could have used additional time in the oven. I was glad it held its shape and didn’t sink, but the very thin layer covering the outside just held to the pan, ugh.
I’m baking this right now… for the 4th! Besides celebrating our country we celebrate my dog Monroe, who is a proud 8 year old German Shorthaired Pointer. This is actually, in small quantity, dog safe… he takes his with a big of doggie ice cream and shares with his 3 brothers. Monroe, Reagan, Harrison and Fitzgerald all get some. The humans have berries and whipped cream. This recipe is flawless and perfect. Thank you! ❤️
Wonderful recipe. New baker here… I did scrape around the outer edge and it came out ok, however the bottom stuck really badly. I let it cool overnight (baked it around 7pm). Any advice would be appreciated!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Was the cake underbaked by chance? That can sometimes be the culprit when just the bottom of the cake sticks. A few additional minutes in the oven should help for next time.
This is the best angel food cake recipe I have found anywhere. I am taking the one I just baked to a July Fourth picnic later today and will serve it with a homemade strawberry and blueberry sauce and whipped cream – red, white and blue! If I may throw my two cents in — It seems some people have had trouble with the cake falling out of the pan. This has happened to me in the past till I learned two things – the first is to make sure the oven is at the correct temperature and second, make sure you bake it long enough even if you have to go past the time indicated in the recipe instructions. My oven is about 10 degrees too cool, so I adjusted using an oven thermometer. Even with my oven correctly being at 325 degrees, I had to bake it for 58 minutes until it was actually done. The type of pan could also be a factor. Hope this helps!
I never knew Angel Food Cake could taste this good!!!
I got a tube pan in my on line auctioneering and decided to use it. I found this recipe and gave it a try. OMG, my husband and I love it. So light, spongy, just glorious. We eat it plain.
Thank you for this recipe!
I need to bake gluten free sometimes, and I tried this recipe exactly as written, but used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Baking Flour. It turned out amazing and fluffy and tasted great.
12 egg whites is equivalent to how much cups. Eggs differ in sizes.
Hi Fazia, we use large egg whites here. A large egg white weighs about 42g, so you would need 504g for 12.
I haven’t made this yet. Can I use castor sugar in place of the granulated sugar that has been put into the food processor?
Hi Rachel, if you have caster sugar, you can certainly use that. See the recipe notes for instructions!
Hi, can sugar substitute be used?
Hi Sherry, we’d love to help but we are not trained in baking with sugar substitutes. For best taste and texture (and so you don’t waste your time trying to adapt this recipe since it may not work properly), it may be more useful to find a recipe that is specifically formulated for sugar substitutes. Thank you!
Can we make this into Chocolate Angel Food Cake?
Hi Kathy, We haven’t tested a chocolate angel food cake. If you try it, let us know how it goes!
This recipe is almost like my favorite recipe except I use 13 egg whites. Egg sizes vary alot!