Best Angel Food Cake

From the classic slice of cake with whipped cream and strawberries, to a deliciously funfetti angel food cake with pink marshmallow frosting and birthday candles, angel food cakes are here to stay!

So, I've come to the realization that I am in dire need of a new angel food cake pan.  But my old-faithful angel food cake pan I've had for probably 25 years or so is still hanging with mama!

So we survived baking a delicious cake without any damage.  If it ain't broken, why fix it?  LOL...maybe it's time.

Ingredients for Angel Food Cake

Can you believe it?  Only 7 ingredients!  Plus, if you have a mixer and a tube pan, you're ready to rock and roll!

• egg whites 
• granulated sugar
• cake flour 
• cream of tartar
• vanilla extract
• almond extract
• salt

How to Make 

1. Place egg whites in a large bowl for 30 minutes at room temperature. Sift ½ cup sugar and flour together twice, then set aside.
2. Place oven rack in the lowest position. Preheat oven to 350°.
3. Add cream of tartar, extracts and salt to room temperature egg whites and using mixer, beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining sugar, about 2 tablespoons at a time, beating on high until stiff peaks form. Gradually fold in flour mixture, about ½ cup at a time.
4. Gently spoon into an ungreased 10-in. tube pan. Cut through batter with a knife to remove air pockets.
5. Bake until lightly browned and entire top appears dry, 35-40 minutes. Immediately invert pan; cool completely, about 1 hour.
6. Run a knife around side and center tube of pan. Remove cake to a serving plate.
7. Frost or serve with fruit and whipped cream!

To get nice slices of angel cake, grab your bread knife or a good serrated knife. Use a gentle sawing motion to cut slices of this airy cake. This will help protect the appearance and texture.

• Angel food cake pans do not get greased, floured or anything! Seems ironic, right?  The cake actually needs to cling to the sides of the pan in order to rise, and if those pan sides are greased, there’s nothing there for the batter to grasp on to. If you grease it, you get an unfluffy, flat cake.
• Cool the cake upside-down, to keep its volume. Ideally, your tube cake pan will be designed to do so easily.
• One the cake has cooled, flip it back to right-side-up. Take a thin, flexible smooth knife and run it around both the center tube and the outer edge of the cake pan.
• Use the tube to pull the cake out of the pan. Place the cake on an inverted baking pan.
• Cut the bottom free with your smooth knife.
• Invert cake onto a serving plate, and twist the tube to remove it completely.

10 Mistakes Everybody Makes When Baking Angel Food Cake

You'll be surprised just how easy this really is to make this homemade fluffy angel food cake and especially how delicious it is!!  Enjoy!

More Spring Desserts!

• Magnolia Bakery's Coconut Layer Cake
• Easy Berry Trifle
• 17 Irresistible Fluffy Desserts
• Top 15 Luscious Lemon and Berry Desserts
• Vanilla White Bundt Cakes
• Fluffy Angel Food Cake Delight with Fresh Berries
• Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes
• 10 Tempting Comfort Snack Cakes You Probably Need to Try!

Best Angel Food Cake

Kim Lange

Homemade angel food cake is just so good!  This light, spongy and fluffy Angel food cake is one of the best comforting desserts over the spring and summer months! 

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Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 35 mins

Course Dessert

Servings 16 Servings

Calories

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 9 large egg whites 1 & ¼ cups
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar divided
• 1 cup cake flour OR gluten-free flour + 2 tablespoons of cornstarch
• 1 ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ⅛ teaspoon almond extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

 

• Place egg whites in a large bowl for 30 minutes at room temperature.
• Sift ½ cup sugar and flour together twice, then set aside.
• Place oven rack in the lowest position. Preheat oven to 350°.
• Add cream of tartar, extracts and salt to room temperature egg whites and using mixer, beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining sugar, about 2 tablespoons at a time, beating on high until stiff peaks form. Gradually fold in flour mixture, about ½ cup at a time.
• Gently spoon into an ungreased 10-in. tube pan. Cut through batter with a knife to remove air pockets.
• Bake until lightly browned and entire top appears dry, 35-40 minutes. Immediately invert pan; cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Run a knife around side and center tube of pan. Remove cake to a serving plate.

Notes

Cake Flour Substitution using All Purpose Flour or Gluten-Free Flour with Cornstarch

• For every 1 cup of cake flour, use 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour and add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Sift together with sugar as directed in step 2. 

Healthy Options

• Gluten Free Flour - Use Bob's Red Mill or King Arthur's Gluten Free Flours (same measurements
• Sugar-free Option - Use Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener (same measurements)

Keyword cake, fluffy desserts, spring dessert, summer, vanilla

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Recipe found on Taste of Home