This ideal angel food cake recipe is made with only 6 ingredients and bakes up tall, light, and airy. Follow this recipe for the best results. Only specific ingredients and amazing mixing processes can achieve a delicate texture.
Are you ready for a taste of heaven? We’re no strangers to rich and indulgent cakes. What about a cake recipe that makes butter, fat, and egg yolks flee in terror? Let me introduce you to angel food cake. Angel food cake is a fat-free cake consisting primarily of egg whites, cake flour, and sugar. On the interior, it’s pure white, with a chewy light brown crumb around the outside.
It makes up for the lack of butter in texture. The crumb is cloud-like, and the flavor is extremely light in this towering, soft, and timeless cake.
On my blog, I’ve shared an extremely fun sprinkle angel food cake, but now it’s time to go to the source: classic homemade angel food cake!
Table of Contents
6 Angel Food Cake Recipe Ingredients
Angel food cake recipe is made with only six ingredients. With so few ingredients, it’s important to remember that each one is important to the cake’s ultimate taste and texture. Here’s how it works:
- Granulated sugar is the first ingredient in the recipe. To make superfine sugar, pulse it in a food processor. The granules of superfine sugar are the finest size for providing the greatest structure for angel food cake. It’s not as coarse as granulated sugar, but it’s not as fine as confectioners’ sugar, either. Confectioners’ sugar dissolves too rapidly in the egg whites, whereas granulated sugar is simply too grainy.
- Cake flour is a low-protein flour that produces a soft angel food cake. Using all-purpose flour will result in a cake that tastes like white bread…! You can use this cake flour alternative in a pinch. Real cake flour, on the other hand, is great.
- Salt is a flavor enhancer.
- Egg whites You’ll notice there’s no baking powder or baking soda in the egg whites. The only leavening component in the cake is egg whites, which provide all of the cake’s rise. Because freshly separated eggs aerate the best, use them. Egg whites from cartons or egg whites that have been frozen will not expand as much during the whipping process, reducing the rise of your cake. You’ll have a lot of egg yolks leftover, so make some lemon curd and serve it alongside the cake!
- Cream of Tartar is an acid that stabilizes whipped egg whites, similar to how it stabilizes my chocolate swirled meringue biscuits. The cake would crumble if it didn’t have it. Other acids, such as lemon juice, can help, but they aren’t as powerful. Cream of tartar is a typical baking ingredient that may be found on the spice aisle. Many of my recipes call for it!
- Vanilla Extract is a taste enhancer.
How to Make Perfect Angel Food Cake Recipe
I’m confident that this will be the most delicious angel food cake you’ve ever tasted. We can’t get angel food cake perfection for free, so be sure to follow these instructions to the letter.
- Pulse the granulated sugar until it is superfine. Use a food processor or a blender to combine the ingredients.
- 1 cup superfine sugar should be set aside. It will be mixed in with the egg whites.
- In a food processor, combine cake flour and salt. Pulse them in a food processor with the remaining sugar. The dry components are aerated as a result of this.
- Combine the egg whites and cream of tartar in a mixing bowl. Using a medium-low speed mixer, beat until frothy.
- 1 cup superfine sugar, slowly added Increase the speed of the mixer to medium-high and add the superfine sugar you set aside.
- Form gentle peaks with the beater. Make soft and lofty peaks with egg whites, cream of tartar, and superfine sugar. It will take at least 5 minutes to complete this task. Add the vanilla after that.
- Sift in the dry ingredients and fold them in. Sift and fold in the dry ingredients in three batches.
- In a tube pan, pour/spread the batter. The tube pan should not be greased. Greasing the pan prevents the batter from rising correctly because it slides down the sides. If you’ve already greased it, give it a thorough cleaning.
- Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). The cake will not be properly cooked at a higher temperature.
- Cool on a wire rack upside down. If the cake is allowed to cool upright, the weight of the cake will crush it. Cool it on a cooling rack upside down to keep its shape and allow air to reach it.
- To release the edges, run a small knife around them. To loosen the cake, tap the pan on the counter a few times.
- Using a serrated knife, slice the vegetables. The cake is squished with a typical sharp knife.
Can I make angel food cake in a Bundt pan? Angel food cake should not be baked in a Bundt pan. It will be quite difficult to get it out in one piece. A tube pan with a flat bottom and straight sides is required. I recommend this tube pan if you don’t already have one. For its high quality, it is reasonably priced. The coating is quite thin and has never been an issue for my angel food cakes, despite the fact that it is listed as nonstick. Chicken Salad Recipe With Grapes.
And there’s more good news: here’s a tip for baking angel food cake without a tube pan.
1 cup (16 tablespoons) cake flour + 2 tablespoons cake flour It may seem like a strange amount, but 18 Tablespoons is the exact amount needed to give the cake enough structure.
Soft Peaks, Not Stiff Peaks
It’s important to remember to whisk the egg whites into delicate peaks. (As seen above.) Soft peaks don’t keep their contour. After a few seconds, they “wilt” back into the mixture. Because they will expand in the oven, soft peaks are the best consistency. Stiff peaks, on the other hand, indicate that the egg whites for angel food cake have been over-whipped and will likely collapse in the oven.
It’s crucial to remember not to get any egg yolks into the mixing bowl. Any fat left in the egg whites could prevent them from developing peaks at all. In a small mixing bowl, crack eggs over an egg separator, then add the whites one by one. The yolk will not break directly in the mixing bowl if it breaks in this manner.
In a few additions, sift the dry ingredients over the beaten egg whites, gently mixing them together after each addition. The objective is to keep as much whipped volume as possible. The egg whites will quickly deflate if the dry ingredients are poured on top all at once.
The Magic is in the Details
In this piece, I’ve thrown a lot of information at you, so here’s a fast rundown of the most significant success strategies. Keep in mind that the magic is in the details.
- Use egg whites that have been separated recently.
- Superfine sugar is made by pulverizing granulated sugar.
- Soft peaks, not rigid peaks, should be achieved when whipping egg whites.
- Sift in the dry ingredients and gently fold them in.
- The tube pan should not be greased.
- On a wire rack, cool the cake upside down.
- To slice, use a serrated knife.
With fresh berries and a dab of whipped cream, angel food cake doesn’t need to be hidden behind frosting. Feel free to sprinkle confectioners’ sugar on top as well. You’ll adore my fresh berry cream cake if you like these flavors combined. (Which, to be honest, isn’t quite as finicky as this cake!)
I know what you’re thinking: is it really worth it to eat this cake? The answer is a huge YES. Angel food cake has a unique texture, and once you’ve gone through the steps, you’ll see that it’s not that difficult to make– it’s just a little finicky. Let’s get this party started!
