Delicious, classic Homemade Angel Food Cake recipe that everyone will love! Totally worth making this light and fluffy cake as it comes out perfect every time. This is the recipe that everyone will ask you for!
Summer is already here for us. Once the temperatures are above 80 F at even 8AM, it's officially summer. And this is a cake that just reminds me of summer. Angel Food Cake is everyone's favorite. It seem daunting when you see how fluffy it is. You may think you can't make one homemade, as they do sell mixes to make it. Homemade is way better! Yes, you need a dozen eggs.
It could seem to be too simple, but trust us when we tell you, this is a nothing but simple: the flavor is light and wonderful from the vanilla, fluffy with a gorgeous white interior, and a crackly meringue-like bottom that is baked until golden brown. This is the cake you'll bake all summer long for any special party. Make it gluten-free using your favorite gluten-free flour (we like King Arthur's All-Purpose GF Flour when we make this cake GF).
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Making from scratch is not as difficult as you think it is. As I mentioned, yes, you do need a dozen eggs (1 1/2 cups egg white total) to make just one cake. But after carefully separating the eggs and mixing the whites and the other ingredients, you will get a super fluffy and light cake that is going to be a family favorite! So here's the recipe we always use, from King Arthurs Flour, that you can use to make a classic and delicious cake that is truly angelic.
HOW DO YOU MAKE A PERFECT ANGEL FOOD CAKE FROM SCRATCH?
It all begins with the eggs! The most crucial step is separating your eggs while they're still cold. Trust me when I tell you, it's so much easier to separate them while they're still cold.
- Your egg whites should be at room temperature for angel food cake. Leave the egg whites in a bowl and let them come to room temperature before you start mixing them. Store the egg yolks in a sealed container and make another recipe with them (my lemon curd!).
- Use a glass or metal bowl that is totally clean. There can't be a drop of egg yolk in the bowl, so make sure you don't separate your eggs in the mixing bowl. Make sure the mixing bowl does not have a drop of oil on it and is totally dry. If there is even the most minuscule drop of egg yolk the egg whites WILL NOT mix up, and you will have to throw the whole thing away.
- It's essential to beat the egg whites to stiff peaks. You'll know that you've got your stiff peaks exist when you can take a spatula or even a knife and dip it into the mixture and when you remove it, the egg whites keep their fluffy shape. It takes a lot of patience and mixing for several minutes. Don't give up!
Don’t know what to do with your leftover egg yolks? Try my lemon curd!
HOW LONG CAN YOU KEEP ANGEL FOOD CAKE?
Angel food cake is never in our house for more than one day. It could keep for about 2 days kept in an airtight container at room temperature.
HOW DO YOU BAKE ANGEL FOOD CAKE IN A 9×13 PAN?
To bake an angel food cake in a 9×13 pan, you have to leave the pan completely un-greased and also fill the pan 2/3rds of the way full. Bake for about 35-40 minutes until the crust becomes cracked and dry. Be sure to find something that is same height that you could rest the four corners of the pan on to cool the cake upside down.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SPONGE CAKE AND ANGEL FOOD CAKE?
Angel food cake is a type of sponge cake that uses egg whites only. Because you’re combining sugar and egg whites you get a sponge type texture that is nice and chewy. Biscuit, Genoise, and Chiffon are different sponge cakes you may have heard of or even baked.
WHY DO YOU HAVE TO COOL ANGEL FOOD CAKE UPSIDE DOWN?
It’s so important to cool inverted the Angel Food Cake. If it isn’t cooled inverted it could collapse, and there is nothing worse than a collapsed cake. If you don’t have a tube pan that has built in pieces that allow the cake to balance on a dish, you’ll have to balance the pan on a bottles or something else that is raised (cutting boards or books of the same height). Be sure to invert it as soon as you take it out of the oven and leave it like this until completely cooled, which is about 1 hour.
I've read that using unbleached cake flour (instead of all-purpose flour) yields a taller, more tender angel food cake. But I've achieved a super tall cake with both types of flour. Choose which flour you prefer and let us know the results!
This is how we love it! Served with homemade lemon curd and fresh berries!!
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?
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Angel Food Cake
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°Be sure to not grease or flour your angel food cake pan. You could use a 10" round pan or an angel food loaf pan will fit this recipe well.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and 3/4 cup of the sugar; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the egg whites, salt, and extract. When the mixture becomes just frothy, sprinkle the cream of tartar on top and continue beating until the mixture forms stiff, glossy peaks. Take care not to over beat the mixture.
- Add the remaining sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, then fold in the dry ingredients in small portions at a time. Be sure that you are folding these ingredients by hand, and not using your mixer.
- Spoon the batter into the pan making sure it’s evenly distributed all around, and bake the cake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until it's golden brown and the top springs back when lightly touched.
- Remove the cake from the oven, and as soon as you remove it, set it upside down with a bottle through its center cone to keep its top from flattening on the counter (if you’re using a pan like I do with the prongs, set it upside down on a plate resting on the prongs of the tube pan). Let the cake cool for 1 1/2 hours. It’s very important to completely cool so the cake won’t collapse on itself when you remove it from the pan.
- Carefully loosen the edges of the cake with a knife, and remove it from the pan.
- Store the cake, covered, on the counter for up to two days. This cake can freeze, very well wrapped, for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information presented below is an approximation and may vary depending on the exact ingredients used.
Notes
- Serving Suggestions - Fresh berries, lemon curd, whipped cream and even chocolate ganache go perfectly with this incredible cake.
MAKE-AHEAD - Angel food cake can be prepared one day in advance. As soon as cake is completely cooled, carefully remove from the tube pan and cover with plastic wrap. Keep at room temperature.
FREEZER INSTRUCTIONS - Angel food cake can be frozen by wrapping the whole cake or just slices very tightly in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil. Store in airtight container or freezer-safe bags for up to four months. Thaw the cake out at room temperature. - All images and text ©Savoring Italy. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Lola Osinkolu says
My family loves fluffy cakes but I fail to successfully make them at home, Thanks for this!
Lora says
Thank you, Lola. I hope you enjoy the recipe!!
Nancie McDermott says
Lovely! Hadn’t thought of angel food cake as a summer recipe but you are so right! It’s simple to make, delicate, lively plain, pretty and perfectly pairs with summer fruit. And I never thought of 13x9 Pan as an option. Shortcake alternative! Making this.
Lora says
Hello, Nancie! I'm so happy you agree!! It is lively plain and simple to make. Thank you for stopping by, my friend.