Angel Food Cake (Printable)

A light, airy sponge cake made with whipped egg whites for a delicate sweetness and fluffy texture.

# What You Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 1 cup cake flour, sifted
02 - 1½ cups granulated sugar, divided
03 - ¼ teaspoon fine salt

→ Egg Mixture

04 - 12 large egg whites, at room temperature
05 - 1½ teaspoons cream of tartar
06 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
07 - ½ teaspoon almond extract (optional)

# How To Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Ensure your angel food cake pan (tube pan) is clean and completely dry. Do not grease the pan.
02 - Sift together cake flour, ¾ cup sugar, and salt in a bowl. Repeat sifting three times for optimal aeration. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat egg whites on medium-high speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and continue beating until soft peaks form.
04 - Gradually add the remaining ¾ cup sugar in small increments while beating, until stiff, glossy peaks form. Add vanilla and almond extracts; mix gently.
05 - Sift the flour mixture over the whipped egg whites in 3 additions, gently folding with a spatula after each, just until combined. Do not overmix.
06 - Spoon batter evenly into the ungreased tube pan. Smooth the top with a spatula and run a knife through the batter to remove large air pockets.
07 - Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until the cake is golden and springs back when lightly touched.
08 - Immediately invert the pan onto a bottle or wire rack and let it cool completely upside down for about 1–2 hours.
09 - Once cool, run a thin knife around the edges to loosen and release the cake. Serve as is, or with fresh berries and whipped cream.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • This cake impossibly light yet satisfyingly sweet has become my go to for dinner parties because it feels fancy without requiring actual skill beyond patience
  • The way it gracefully supports whatever fruit is in season makes it the most reliable dessert in my repertoire
02 -
  • Never grease your angel food cake pan. The batter literally needs to climb the walls to rise and grease makes it slide right down.
  • Cooling the cake upside down is what gives it structure. If you skip this step it will deflate in the center.
03 -
  • Separate your eggs when they are cold but let the whites come to room temperature before whipping for maximum volume
  • If you do not have cake flour make your own by measuring 1 cup all purpose flour removing 2 tablespoons and replacing with 2 tablespoons cornstarch
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