Angel Food Cake
Print Pin VideoThis timeless angel food cake recipe yields a spectacularly tall, super light and airy cake with an incredibly soft, tender texture—it’s like biting into a cloud! Enjoy it plain, or elevate it with a dollop of whipped cream and fresh strawberries (or any berry of your choice!) for the most wonderfully light, not-too-sweet dessert.
IMPORTANT: For accuracy, I would recommend using the gram measurements provided, as those are the exact quantities I use. Cup measurements are given as estimates (based on US cup measurements) to make it easier for those who do not have a scale.
Ingredients
Angel Food Cake
- ¾ cup (90 g) all purpose flour - see note 4 if you want to use cake flour
- ¼ cup (30 g) cornstarch
- 1 cup (125 g) powdered sugar - also known as icing/confectioners sugar
- 1½ cups (360 g) egg whites - about 12 large eggs (but make sure to measure the egg whites), room temperature, fresh egg whites preferred for best volume
- 1¼ tsps cream of tartar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup (200 g) white granulated sugar
- 1½ tsps vanilla extract/essence
- ¼ tsp almond extract/essence
Whipped Cream (optional)
- 1½ cups (360 g) heavy cream - cold
- 1½ tbsp white granulated sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract/essence
Extra (optional)
- 1-2 cups fresh strawberries - or any berry of your choice
Instructions
Angel Food Cake
- Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) conventional (see note 1 if using a convection oven with a fan) and have a 10-inch tube pan ready (do not grease or line it - leave as is).
- Sift together flour, cornstarch and powdered sugar. Using a whisk or fork, mix until well combined. Set aside for now, but keep the sieve handy as the dry ingredients will be sifted a second time.
- To a large mixing bowl, add in egg whites, cream of tartar and salt. Using a hand or stand mixer on a medium-high speed (if using a stand mixer use the whisk attachment), whip for 30 seconds until frothy, then gradually add in white granulated sugar - about a tablespoon at a time. Once all the sugar is added in, continue to whip until you reach soft peaks that hold their shape (see note 2). This should take roughly 5-7 minutes depending on the size and power of your mixer.
- Next add vanilla and almond extract/essence to the egg whites and mix on a low speed until well combined. Do not overmix.
- Sift the dry ingredients from earlier into the egg whites in three batches, gently folding in each batch with a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix (see note 3). You should end up with a thick, almost melted marshmallow like batter.
- Distribute the batter evenly into the 10-inch tube pan. Gently smooth out the top with a spatula and then run a skewer or knife through the batter to remove any large air bubbles. Smooth out the top again if needed, give the tin a little shake and then drop it twice on the counter. Bake for 35 minutes, or until the top is set and slowly springs back when you touch it. You can also check with a skewer and if it comes out clean the cake is done.
- Immediately turn the cake pan upside down and allow it to completely cool. If you leave the cake upright, it will likely collapse - so don't forget this very crucial step!
- Once cool, run a thin knife or spatula around the outer edge and inner edge of the tube pan and invert the cake onto a serving plate/cake stand.
- Cut with a serrated knife in a gentle sawing motion to prevent squashing the cake. Serve with whipped cream and berries!
Whipped Cream
- In a bowl combine heavy cream, sugar and vanilla. Using a hand or stand mixer on a medium speed, whip until you reach medium-stiff peaks. Be careful not to overwhip.
Video
Notes
Note 1. The fan forced (convection) function cooks cakes/cupcakes faster, so if baking on this mode then you will need to decrease the baking temperature to 160°C (320°F) so that the cake bakes at the same rate as mine 🙂
Note 2. Only whip to soft peaks - not stiff peaks. The peaks should fold over at the top (see video for visual), but they should still have a shape that holds and doesn't disappear back into the egg whites.
Note 3. Be gentle when folding in the dry ingredients as you don't want to push out too many of the air bubbles in the egg whites (also called a meringue), otherwise the angel food cake won't rise as well.
Note 4. If you would like to use cake flour for this recipe, use 1 cup (120g) and omit the cornstarch. So no regular flour or cornstarch if using cake flour :)
Nutrition
Calories: 286kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 112mg | Potassium: 164mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 464IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutritional information are estimates only as they are automatically calculated by a third party application. Actual values may differ based on brands and types of products used.
Tried this recipe?I love hearing from you! Tag me @cakesbymk.nz on instagram so I can see your amazing creations :)