Angel Food Cake
Classic angel food cake is impossibly light and soft, with a delicate vanilla flavor. Serve it with fresh berries and whipped cream, or your favorite toppings. It’s simple to bake once you understand a few key techniques, and I’ll walk you through the whole process, step-by-step.
Recipe summary: Angel Food Cake
- This cake’s light and fluffy texture is so much better than store-bought versions.
- It’s easier to bake than you think with just 6 ingredients.
- Foolproof tips included! I’ll walk you through every step so it comes out beautifully.
- You’ll need room temperature egg whites, cake flour, and a tube pan.
- Add your favorite toppings— berries, whipped cream, lemon curd, chocolate sauce, etc.
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For a long time angel food cake had been filed away in my brain under “too intimidating”, and when I finally baked my first angel food cake I was shocked at how simple it was.
If you’ve never had the pleasure, there’s nothing quite like a homemade angel food cake. It’s a wonderfully light dessert, and perfect for all occasions, big and small. I love to serve it with sweetened vanilla whipped cream and strawberries, but you can top it with whatever you like!
You may also be interested in my Angel Food Cupcakes or Coconut Angel Food Cake with Berries.
“I had to buy an angel food cake for a recipe a couple of weeks before I found myself making this homemade version. Oh. My. Gosh. The store bought version… was horrid. I was pleasantly surprised that the homemade version was not only a million times more delicious but actually not all that difficult! I’ve added this to my list of fav recipes and will be making it again in another few weeks for a party I’m hosting! THANK YOU!!⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐” —from reader Yvonne
Ingredients you’ll need
- Egg whites: The reason for this cake’s rise and airy texture. They should be completely free of yolk and at room temperature.
- Cake flour: It has less protein than all-purpose flour, giving angel food cake its signature soft, delicate crumb.
- Granulated sugar: Does more than just sweeten, it also creates structure with the whipped egg whites.
- Cream of tartar: Stabilizes the egg whites so they don’t collapse during baking and cooling.
- Vanilla extract and salt: For flavor.
You will also need a tube pan for this recipe. It’s designed specifically with a hole in the center and tall, straight sides so that the egg whites in the batter cook evenly, and are allowed to rise high as they bake.
How to make angel food cake, step-by-step
Angel food cake is unique, and has a different process than you see with most cakes. Follow these steps, and you’re sure to bake up a beautiful cake!
baking tip:Why does angel food cake need to cool upside-down?
Many tube pans come with feet around the edges for this very purpose. However, inverting the center ring onto the neck of a bottle will also work.
Best toppings for angel food cake
Angel food cake is delicious all on its own, but it’s also the perfect blank canvas for your favorite toppings. Here are a few delicious ways to serve it:
- Whipped cream or chantilly cream frosting
- Berry compote
- Lemon curd
- Chocolate ganache
- Ice cream
- Fresh berries or sliced fruit
Tips for baking a perfect angel food cake
- Why room temperature egg whites matter: Cold egg whites don’t whip as well or high! Pull yours from the fridge 30-60 minutes before making this recipe.
- Learn the best way to separate eggs. And be sure no trace of egg yolk ends up in the whites, as the fat prevents the whites from whipping up properly.
- How to release angel food cake from pan: slide a small serrated knife around all of the edges. A serrated knife is best for cutting slices for serving, too.
- Storage and make-ahead instructions: Angel food cake keeps really well at room temperature for several days. It can be frozen too, wrapped twice in plastic wrap. Thaw at room temperature for several hours before serving.
Angel food cake FAQs
Yes, you do. A regular cake pan won’t work because the edges will be overcooked before the center is done. Look for a pan with a removable bottom and “feet” so it cools easily upside down. If you can’t find a tube pan for this recipe, check out this hack for creating a tube cake pan at home.
Cake flour has less protein and gluten-power than all-purpose flour, so it keeps the cake very light and delicate. It really does make a difference!
You’ll have about 1 dozen egg yolks leftover, which is a lot to waste! If you don’t already have a use in mind, I highly recommend my lemon curd recipe (which uses 10 yolks). It’s also a delicious topping for the angel food cake!
Have you tried this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Leave a rating and review below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram @completelydelicious with #completelydelicious.
Angel Food Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup (113 grams) cake flour
- 1 ⅔ cup (333 grams) granulated sugar , divided
- 1 ¾ cup (425 grams) egg whites (from about 13 eggs), at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- Strawberries and whipped cream for serving , or other toppings as desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F. Have a 10 x 4-inch angel food cake/tube pan ready, but do not grease it.
- Sift the flour 3 times, then add ⅔ cup of the sugar and sift 1 more time, ensuring all lumps are removed and mixture is light and fluffy.1 cup (113 grams) cake flour, 1 ⅔ cup (333 grams) granulated sugar
- Beat the eggs until foamy. Add the salt and cream of tartar and beat continue beating. Add the remaining sugar gradually with mixer running and beat to medium-soft peaks (they should hold peaks slightly, but the tops are soft enough to fold over on themselves). Stir in the vanilla.1 ¾ cup (425 grams) egg whites , ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cream of tartar, 1 cup (199.8 grams) granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla
- Sift the flour mixture over the whipped egg whites in 4 separate additions, gently folding in each addition by hand with a spatula until just incorporated.
- Spoon batter into ungreased pan and spread into an even layer. Rap on a hard surface a few times to release any bubbles.
- Bake until spongy to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 ¼ hours.
- As soon as cake comes out of the oven, invert it upside-down to cool (this prevents the cake from collapsing). If the pan has feet, invert it onto a flat surface. If not, invert over the neck of a bottle.
- Let cool for about 2 hours, or until it's at room temperature. Use a thin serrated knife to cut around the edges and release the cake from the pan.
- Slice and serve with whipped cream and strawberries, or as desired.
- Store cake at room temperature, it will keep for several days (though if you add toppings that require refrigeration, store in the fridge).
Video
Notes
- Why you shouldn’t grease an angel food cake pan: You actually want the batter to stick to the sides, which helps it rise tall. If you grease the pan, the cake will be dense and flat.
- Use cake flour for the best texture. If you don’t have cake flour on hand, substitute 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch for 1 cup of cake flour.
- Make sure egg whites are at room temperature and free of any egg yolk. This helps them whip quickly with more volume, creating better texture and higher rise.
- Freezing instructions: Wrap the whole angel food cake in two layers of plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to 1-2 months. Thaw at room temperature for several hours.
- What to do with leftover egg yolks: I highly recommend my lemon curd recipe (which uses 10 yolks). You can also freeze in a ziplock bag for another purpose.
Recipe history: This recipe was originally published June 2014. In 2022, I improved the recipe instructions and tips, and provided step-by-step photos to guarantee success.
This is a great angel food cake recipe, and I especially enjoy baking it in the summertime for gatherings and holidays. Whenever I have leftover egg whites, I’ll freeze them in a ziplock bag with the volume written on it so it’s really easy to pull them out for this recipe when I need to!
Can I use egg whites from a carton?
I had to buy an angel food cake for a recipe a couple of weeks before I found myself making this homemade version. Oh. My. Gosh. The store bought version tasted like.. lint from an old sweater?? What even was IN it??? It was horrid. I was pleasantly surprised (albeit a bit intimidated) that the homemade version was not only a million times more delicious but actually not all that difficult (thanks to your super helpful tips & notes & step by step photos)! I’ve added this to my list of fav recipes and will be making it again in another few weeks for a party I’m hosting! THANK YOU!!
Thank you Yvonne! So glad you enjoyed this recipe! xo
Great recipe! Thanks!