If you’ve ever wanted to bake a cake that feels light as air, angel food cake is it. My homemade angel food cake is soft, fluffy, and perfectly golden on top, with that classic melt-in-your-mouth texture. Because it’s made with just whipped egg whites, sugar, and a little flour, this healthy angel food cake skips the butter and yolks, making it naturally lower in fat while still tasting indulgent. It’s the kind of dessert you can serve at Easter, Mother’s Day, or just a weeknight dinner and still feel like you’re treating yourself. Once you’ve tried angel food cake from scratch, you’ll never want the store-bought version again.
Healthy Angel Food Cake Dessert
While it may look similar to sponge cake, this homemade angel food cake is actually quite different. Sponge cake uses both egg yolks and egg whites, giving it a richer, denser texture. Angel food cake, on the other hand, relies entirely on whipped egg whites for its lift. And with no oil or butter, every bite feels so cloudlike and delicate.
And even though it sounds intimidating, this really is an easy angel food cake recipe. With only 7 ingredients and no fancy tricks, you get that bakery-worthy result right at home. Serve it plain for a naturally sweet treat, or top with whipped cream and fresh berries for a stunning dessert that never feels too heavy.
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The Cooling Secret for the Best Texture
Angel food cake must cool upside down so it doesn’t collapse, but how you do it matters. If you balance your pan on a narrow wine bottle, the steam can sometimes get trapped inside, creating a slightly gummy texture at the bottom. I prefer to flip the tube pan over two equal-height heatproof mugs (or the pan’s built-in feet, if yours has them). This gives the cake more airflow as it cools, keeping the crumb extra fluffy from top to bottom. I’ve tested this cake dozens of times, and this cooling trick never fails me.
Angel Food Cake Recipe
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- Tube Pan
- Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer
Ingredients
- ⅞ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1½ cups granulated sugar divided
- 12 egg whites
- 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1½ teaspoons cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Move the top oven rack to the lowest position. Preheat oven to 350°F. A tube pan with removable bottom works best for this recipe. Do not grease or spray the pan.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cornstarch, and ¾ cup of the sugar. Set aside the extra sugar and the sifted ingredients.⅞ cup all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 1½ cups granulated sugar
- In a large bowl, using a hand or stand mixer, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, vanilla, and salt on a high speed until soft peaks have been reached.12 egg whites, 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract, 1½ teaspoons cream of tartar, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- At this point, slowly add the remaining sugar to the egg mixture while continuously beating into stiff peaks.1½ cups granulated sugar
- Once the egg whites have reached a stiff peak, use a spoon or spatula to gently fold the dry ingredients into the eggs just until blended.
- Pour the batter into the ungreased tube pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes, just until the top is browned, completely dry, and has started to crack.
- Once done baking, immediately take the pan out of the oven and turn it upside on top of two equal-sized mugs to keep the cake from collapsing. Cool upside down for 1 hour before removing from pan. Once cooled, to remove the cake, slide a knife along the edges of the pan until it has been released.
Notes
- You’ll need to use a tube pan for this cake recipe. You can find pans with removable bottoms, which is really helpful to keep the cake intact. A bundt pan isn’t going to work for this recipe.
- Don’t let any egg yolk get into the egg whites. The yolk can prevent the whites from forming peaks as they contain fat.
- Don’t waste those leftover egg yolks. Make some butterscotch budino!
- A stand mixer will work best to beat into peaks, and more quickly, but a hand mixer will work as well. A hand mixer will double the time it takes to reach peaks.
- Make sure the eggs are beaten into stiff peaks so that the cake holds its shape when it is baked.
- Carefully fold the dry ingredients into the egg whites to keep as much air in the batter as possible.
How to Make Angel Food Cake Step-by-Step
Sift the Dry Ingredients: Move the top oven rack to the lowest position and preheat your oven to 350°F. A tube pan with a removable bottom works best for this recipe. Do not grease or spray the pan. In a medium bowl, sift together ⅞ cup of all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, and ¾ cup of granulated sugar. Set aside the extra sugar and the sifted ingredients. The cornstarch helps lower the protein content of all-purpose flour, leading to a lighter and more tender crumb. This is a trick I use all the time as a substitute for cake flour.
Beat the Egg Whites: In a large bowl, using a hand or stand mixer, beat 12 large egg whites, 1½ teaspoons of cream of tartar, 1½ teaspoons of vanilla extract, and ½ teaspoon of kosher salt on a high speed until soft peaks have been reached. Cream of tartar is vital here, as it lowers the pH of the egg whites, denaturing their proteins and making them more stable. This also helps the egg whites trap more air, resulting in a fluffier cake.
Add the Sugar: At this point, slowly add the remaining ¾ cup of sugar to the egg mixture while continuously beating into stiff peaks.
Mix the Batter: Once the egg whites have reached a stiff peak, use a spoon or spatula to gently fold the dry ingredients into the eggs just until blended. We don’t want to overmix here, as that could deflate the batter, causing the cake to turn out flat.
Bake the Cake: Pour the batter into the ungreased tube pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, just until the top is browned, completely dry, and has started to crack.
Cool the Cake: Once done baking, immediately take the pan out of the oven and turn it upside down on top of two equal-sized heatproof mugs to prevent the cake from collapsing. Cool upside down for 1 hour before removing from the pan. Once cooled, to remove the cake, slide a knife along the edges of the pan until it is released.
How to Store and Freeze
Once your angel food cake has cooled completely, remove it from the pan. I find that it’s best enjoyed the day it’s made, but it will keep for 2 days at room temperature. Store it in an airtight container or cover with plastic wrap. It will keep for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
This cake also freezes well. Wrap the cooled cake in plastic wrap and place it in a freezer-safe container. It will keep for up to 6 months. Thaw the frozen cake for 3-4 hours, or overnight, at room temperature before enjoying.
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