Description
Learn how to make the PERFECT Angel Food Cake with this foolproof recipe! Light, airy, and cloud-like, this classic cake uses just 6 simple ingredients. Get expert tips for whipping egg whites, folding technique, and that crucial upside-down cooling method. Includes make-ahead instructions, storage tips, and delicious flavor variations. Serve with fresh berries and whipped cream for an impressive yet easy dessert!
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1 3/4 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup + 2 Tbsp (133 g) cake flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 12 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Optional for Serving:
- Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
- Whipped cream
- Fresh berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries)
Substitution Notes:
- No cake flour? You can make your own by measuring 1 cup all-purpose flour, removing 2 tablespoons, and replacing them with 2 tablespoons cornstarch. Sift it 3 times!
- Vanilla extract: Try almond extract for a more traditional angel food flavor, or use half vanilla and half almond.
- Cream of tartar: In a pinch, substitute with an equal amount of lemon juice or white vinegar, though cream of tartar works best.
Instructions
Place your oven rack in the lower-middle position and preheat to 325°F (163°C). Have your ungreased 9–10 inch tube pan ready and waiting. Remember – do NOT grease it! The cake needs those bare sides to climb.
Add all 1 3/4 cups of granulated sugar to your food processor or blender. Pulse until it’s fine and powdery – this usually takes about 30-45 seconds. You want it to feel like soft, fluffy sand between your fingers.
Remove exactly 1 cup of this superfine sugar and set it aside in a small bowl. To the remaining sugar in the processor, add your cake flour and salt. Pulse 5–10 times just to aerate and combine. This step is brilliant because it lightens the flour and makes it easier to fold into the delicate egg whites. Set this mixture aside.
In your large mixing bowl (make sure it’s completely clean and dry – even a tiny bit of grease will prevent the whites from whipping!), add the egg whites and cream of tartar. Beat on medium-low speed until the mixture is foamy and looks like a bubble bath – this takes about 1 minute.
Now increase the speed to medium-high and start slowly adding that reserved 1 cup of superfine sugar, about a tablespoon at a time. This is where patience pays off! Continue whipping until soft peaks form – when you lift the whisk, the peaks should curl over gently at the tips. This takes about 5–6 minutes total.
Beat in the vanilla extract just until it’s combined – maybe 10 seconds. Don’t overmix! You want soft, glossy peaks, not dry, grainy ones.
This is where we need to be gentle and patient. You’ve worked hard to get all that air into those egg whites – now we need to keep it there!
Using your fine mesh sieve, sift about one-third of the flour mixture over the egg whites. With a large rubber spatula, gently fold it in using a cutting and turning motion. Cut down through the center, sweep across the bottom, and bring it up the side. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat.
Sift in the second third, fold gently. Then the final third, folding just until no flour streaks remain. This whole process should feel like you’re folding whipped cream – slow, gentle, and deliberate. It usually takes me about 40-50 folds total. A few small flour streaks are okay – better that than deflated batter from overmixing!
Pour the batter into your ungreased tube pan. Use your spatula to spread it evenly, then give the pan a couple of gentle shimmies on the counter to level the surface and remove any large air pockets.
Bake for 40–45 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through (around the 20-minute mark) for even browning. The cake is done when the top is golden brown, springs back when lightly touched, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Don’t open the oven door during the first 30 minutes – the cake needs that steady heat to rise properly!
The MOMENT that cake comes out of the oven, flip it upside down. If your tube pan has little feet on the rim, rest it on those. If not, place the center tube over the neck of a wine bottle or sturdy glass bottle.
Now walk away and let it cool COMPLETELY – this takes about 3 hours. I know it’s torture, but this step is non-negotiable! As the cake cools upside down, gravity stretches it and prevents it from collapsing into a dense, rubbery mess.
Once completely cool, run a thin knife or offset spatula around the outer edge and inner tube, gently loosening the cake. Give the pan a few gentle taps on the counter, then remove the outer ring. Run your knife under the bottom and lift the cake off the base.
Dust the top with confectioners’ sugar if you like that bakery look. When it’s time to slice, use a serrated knife in a gentle sawing motion – a regular knife will squish all that beautiful fluffiness!
Serve slices with a generous dollop of whipped cream and fresh berries. In summer, I love strawberries and blueberries. In winter, I’ll drizzle it with lemon curd or chocolate sauce. It’s delicious any way you serve it!
Notes
Test your cream of tartar if it’s been sitting in your pantry for ages. Add a pinch to a bit of water – if it fizzes, it’s still good!
The toothpick test can be tricky with angel food cake. The top should be golden and spring back when touched, and the toothpick should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs – NOT wet batter.
Don’t open the oven door for the first 30 minutes. That blast of cool air can cause the cake to collapse.
Rotate the pan halfway through baking for even browning, especially if your oven has hot spots.
Common mistake to avoid: Over-whipping the egg whites. You want soft, droopy peaks that curl at the tips – not dry, stiff peaks that stand straight up. Over-whipped whites will give you a dense, tough cake.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40-45 minutes + Cooling Time: 3 hours
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American