Angel Food Cake
Angel food cake is a classic cake made from whipped egg whites. It’s subtly sweet, and very light and fluffy. Serve it topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit, ice cream, or however you like!
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.
Calories: 165kcal, Carbohydrates: 36g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 156mg, Potassium: 109mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 28g, Calcium: 4mg, Iron: 1mg
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.
