Angel Food Cake (Printable)

Delicately sweet cloud-like cake made from fluffy whipped egg whites, ideal for summer desserts.

# What You'll 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, room temperature
05 - 1½ teaspoons cream of tartar
06 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
07 - ½ teaspoon almond extract

# Preparation Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Ensure your angel food cake pan is clean and completely dry.
02 - Sift together cake flour, ¾ cup sugar, and salt in a bowl. Repeat sifting three times for optimal aeration. Set aside.
03 - 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 1–2 hours.
09 - Once cool, run a thin knife around the edges to loosen and release the cake from the pan.
10 - Serve as is, or with fresh berries and whipped cream for a classic presentation.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The texture is impossibly light and cloudlike, almost like eating a sweetened breeze
  • It is naturally low fat since it relies entirely on whipped egg whites for structure
  • The cake serves as the perfect blank canvas for whatever fresh fruit is in season
02 -
  • Never grease your angel food cake pan since the batter needs to cling to the sides to rise properly during baking
  • Even one tiny drop of egg yolk in your whites can prevent them from reaching their full volume
  • Cooling the cake upside down is not optional, it is absolutely essential for maintaining the height
03 -
  • Separate your eggs while they are cold, then let the whites come to room temperature before whipping
  • Use a glass or metal bowl for whipping egg whites since plastic can retain traces of grease
  • If you do not have cake flour, measure 1 cup of all purpose flour, remove 2 tablespoons, and replace with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch
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