This Perfectly Easy Angel Food Cake is fat free and the fastest, loftiest, most tantalizing Angel Food Cake recipe to be found. It's a standout among homemade angel food cakes.
If you struggled with the getting the egg whites just right and then watched them deflate as you folded the flour in, that's all in the past. Why? Because this is not your Betty Crocker angel food cake since there is no folding in of the flour. It’s all done in the mixer and if you don’t believe it, just give this recipe a whirl. It's absolutely foolproof and you won't be disappointed. Follow the photos so your mixture looks the same and your on your way.
With no fat and only a few ingredients, this is an ideal treat for anyone on a low fat diet. While it can be iced, it's perfect as is.
A couple of other really easy cakes to make include the Orange Almond Tea Cake, Lemon Strawberry Cake, and the Quick and Easy Summer Tea Cake. And be sure to check out My Best Banana Cake Recipe for a truly fantastic cake.
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Why this Recipe is Different
An Angel Food Cake is not made like most cake recipes. There is no chemical leavening agent such as baking powder or baking soda. Air beaten in is the only leavening agent and it does a fantastic job when properly incorporated.
The main difference between this recipe for Angel Food Cake and the traditional method is there is no folding the flour in at the end. This is the step that often deflates the beaten egg whites removing much of the air.
To help with this, processing the sugar to make it finer will help dissolve it in the egg whites faster. If the sugar is not processed, it will just take a bit longer to make sure the sugar is dissolved in the whites.
However, it is important when initially adding the sugar to beat the whites until they are glossy, high in the bowl and stiff as in Step 7. If it is not, continue beating on high until they are. It is equally important to add the flour/sugar mixture at the end on low and in fourths and beat only until mixed in. The mixture should remain very high and very thick as in Step 10.
The photos will guide you in each step to insure your cake comes out like the one in the photo above.
Ingredients
Top Row: Baker's Sugar, Egg Whites. Middle Row: Salt, Vanilla Extract, Cake Flour. Bottom Row: Almond Extract, Cream of Tartar
- Baker's Sugar is very finely ground granulated sugar. It dissolves faster and more completely when used with egg whites or when creaming with butter, yolks or eggs. While it can be difficult and/or expensive to find in grocery stores or online it is easily made at home.
- Egg whites can be freshly separated from the yolks or can be accumulated over time and frozen. If frozen, thaw in the refrigerator for a day or two until completely liquid. There are different opinions as to whipping them at room temperature or cold. Because the air bubbles created when whipping stay tighter when beaten cold, I used this method at the bakery and recommend it.
- Cake Flour is used because it contains less gluten than other flours such as pastry, all-purpose or bread flour and yields a very tender cake. It is important to sift it as little lumps don't incorporate well in the finished batter.
- Cream of tartar is an acid that helps stabalize the egg whites. Lacking it, lemon juice or white vinegar can be used since they are both acidic. Neither will affect the taste after baking.
- Vanilla and Almond extracts - This is a favorite flavor combination I used at the bakery. However, all of either one can be used if preferred. Check the ingredient list to make sure there is no oil in the flavoring. If there is, the flavoring must be added at the end of the beating.
- Salt - A bit of salt helps elevate the flavor of the cake.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Step 1. An Angel Food Tube Pan is about 4" deep, has a removable bottom and legs extend from the top. The tube in the middle allows the heat to come up and bake the cake from the middle as well as the outside.
Step 2.The pan should not be prepared in any way. Do not butter or spray it.
Step 3. Granulated sugar processed to make baker's sugar.
Step 4. Egg whites, vanilla and almond extracts, in the mixing bowl.
Step 5. Egg whites whipped to the soft peaks stage and ready to add the sugar. The whites should be very high and thick but not stiff.
Blend half the sugar, salt and cream of tartar together.
Step 6. Adding a heaping spoon of ½ the sugar mixture at a time to the egg whites. Beat 10 to 15 seconds after each addition. Repeat until all of the sugar is gone.
Step 7. Half the sugar added to the egg whites. They will be very glossy, high in the bowl and stiff. If they don't look like this, keep beating until they do.
Step 8. Sift together the remaining sugar and cake flour to be added.
Step 9. Sugar/flour mixture being added in four additions on low speed. Beat just until flour mixture is incorporated each time.
Step 10. All of the sugar/flour mixture added. The mixture will be very high and very thick.
Step 11. Perfectly Easy Angel Food Cake mixture in the pan.
Step 12. Mixture smoothed out.
Cooling and Releasing
Step 13. After baking, it is important to cool the cake upside down so it retains it height. If the Angel Food Cake pan has feet on it, simply turn it upside down. If not, hang it on a bottle.
Step 14. After the Angel Food Cake has cooled, use a small, flexible,metal spatula to go around the tube in the middle. Tall isn't it? Over 4 inches of perfection!
Step 15. Release the outer edge of the cake with the metal spatula. Make sure to keep the spatula pressed against the edge of the pan and not the cake.
Step 16. After removing the side, go under the bottom of the cake to release it.
Hint: The key to a perfect Foolproof Angel Food Cake is beating the whites to the correct consistency at each stage. If they are initially under beaten, it will be difficult for them to attain the lofty heights needed for this cake since the air beaten in is the only leavening agent. Beating to the soft peak stage is important.
Variations
Citrus Angel Food Cake: Grate the zest from 1 lime, 1 lemon and 1 orange. Process half of the sugar at a time. Add the zest to the second half of the sugar and use as called for.
Chocolate Angel Food Cake: Add ⅓ cup sifted cocoa to the flour. Since coffee enhances the flavor of chocolate, add 1 teaspoon instant coffee dissolved in the almond and vanilla flavoring. Use these where called for in the base recipe.
Equipment
- Angel Food Cake Pan
- Scale
- Measuring Cup and spoons
- Strainer or Sifter
- Mixer with whisk attachment
- Rubber Spatula
- Small metal spatula
Storage
The cake will last for three or four days kept covered. It can also be baked and frozen. Thaw at room temperature.
Top tip
When adding the sugar/flour mixture to the egg whites, make sure the mixer is on low and beat only until each addition is incorporated.
Perfectly Easy Angel Food Cake
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups sugar, divided (500 grams)
- 14 large egg whites (440 grams)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 ½ cups sifted cake flour (150 grams)
- 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons cream of tarter
Instructions
- Please note that the flour should be sifted BEFORE measuring if not weighing to give the correct measurement. Just sift the flour directly into a 1 and a ½ cup measure to overflowing. Sweep off the excess with the back of a table knife.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F..
- Have the angel food pan ready but do not prepare it in any way. Do not butter or spray it. To obtain its full height, the cake needs to cling to the side of the pan. Set aside.
- Place the sugar in a food processor and process for 30 to 60 seconds until more finely ground. Regular granulated sugar can be used but make sure to beat it long enough to dissolve the sugar.
- Place the egg whites, vanilla and almond extracts in a mixer bowl. Fit the mixer with a whisk attachment. Beat on medium high just to a soft peak stage.
- Blend half the sugar (1 ¼ cups, 250 grams), salt and cream of tarter. Gradually add a heaping tablespoon at a time to the egg whites. Beat 10 to 15 seconds after each addition. Repeat until all of the sugar has been added. They will be very glossy, high and stiff in the bowl. If they are not, continue beating on high until they are.
- Sift together the remaining half of the sugar and the flour. Set the mixer to low speed and add to the egg whites in four additions. Beat just until the flour mixture is incorporated each time. The mixture will retain most of its height and be very thick. Do not overbeat.
- Pour the batter into cake pan and smooth out with a spatula.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until risen, nicely browned and a tester comes out clean. Don’t over bake. Cool upside down in the pan. If the Angel Food Pan doesn't have feet, hang the pan on a bottle.
- When cold, go around the tube and the edge of the pan with a flexible spatula. Release the rim of the pan.
- Release the bottom of the cake with a spatula and turn it out onto a cake board. Turn it right side up to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Marge says
Any recipes the for the egg yolks?
Helen S Fletcher says
Hi Marge - Google what to do with a lot of egg yolks. There's a lot of suggestions there.
angelina says
I am excited to try this and I will be sure to whip the whites as directed. But I am wondering if there is any way of turning this into small versions? I am wanting to make the cakes then top with some fresh strawberries cooked and cooled. Thanks for sharing your baking knowledge. Angelina
Helen S Fletcher says
Hi Angelina - I have not tried to make this in different pans. I have no idea.
Sandy says
Can't wait to try this recipe! Can I use liquid egg whites in a carton or do you recommend sticking with separating your own eggs?
Helen S Fletcher says
Hi Sandy - You have to use fresh eggs (or frozen whites from fresh eggs). I don't know about the liquid egg whites. Be sure to follow the photos. Everything is in there.
Tim Malm says
OMG! I read this recipe a couple weeks ago and thought that sounds easy. It was straightforward to execute. Thanks especially for providing weights for all of the ingredients. A few days ago I had made a cake that required 8 egg yolks, plus had a few additional egg whites left over from a pasta dish that I had made the night before last. So I was all set with egg white. I got great volume in the mixing bowl and in the cake pan. Having 400 grams of the flour and sugar combination made it easy to divide that for the four additions at the end. Overall, it was a fun and satisfying bake. Thanks Helen.
Deborah says
Made this recipe twice and failed twice. After adding the first batch of sugar, beat the batter forever, but it stayed liquid. I will find another recipe in future.
Helen S Fletcher says
Hi Deborah - I can certainly understand why this failed twice. Had you read the body of the recipe especially under Why This Recipe is Different you would know also. Nor did you pay attention to the step by step photos or even the instructions in the recipe card. They all say the same thing-----It is important when initially adding the sugar to beat the whites until they are glossy, high in the bowl and stiff as in Step 7. If it is not, continue beating on high until they are. It is equally important to add the flour/sugar mixture at the end on low and in fourths and beat only until mixed in. The mixture should remain very high and very thick as in Step 10. You should have beaten the egg whites and sugar in the first step until they were glossy, high in the bowl and stiff. At the end you should have beaten the sugar/flour in on low, just until incorporated. There is a picture of that also. You never should beat the mixture after the flour is added. The photos show each step very clearly as to what the mixture should look like at each step.
Cate says
I made this for a party and everyone loved it! Best and easiest angel food cake recipe.
Helen S Fletcher says
Hi Cate, glad your guests enjoyed it.
Angie says
Made this recipe last night for a family dinner. It was ok. Way too much sugar which threw off the flavor and didn’t bake properly. That being said people thought it was good. I have made better.
Helen S Fletcher says
Hi Angie - Glad your guests enjoyed it. What makes food so interesting is there are so many ways to enjoy something with each of us having our own opinions.
Liz says
Foolproof? I obviously am a fool. HA HA I followed this recipe to a T, FOUR TIMES.. ALL FOUR were a flop.. the "batter" was liquid.. cake did not rise. Not sure what I am doing wrong but i followed each step precisely.. Used good eggs... whipped the whites long enough. etc.. I ran out of eggs and patience and gave up. I've been making angel food cakes for many years, and have won 1st place at several county Fairs, and never had an issue with any other recipe. I was so excited to try this foolproof, quicker way. I guess I will stick to the old fashioned way. .So disappointed that I couldn't make it work. Maybe I will try again some day
Helen S Fletcher says
Liz, did you follow the pictures. I know what you did. After beating the egg whites to the soft peak stage you add the sugar about a tablespoon at a time and BEAT EACH TIME FOR 10 TO 15 SECONDS EACH TIME. If you don't the batter will remain liquid. It also tells you to if the mixture does not look like the photo, glossy, high and firm to keep beating until it does. Obviously, the photo could not look like this if the recipe didn't work. This problem happens, most often, with people who bake who do not look at the photos. They jump to the recipe and go. Please try it again and after the first batch of sugar is added beat as described here. It is really easy, fast and the best angel food cake I've ever made.
Helen S Fletcher says
Hello Peggy, I can't presume to know what happened. I have made this countless times and it is one of my most popular recipes. No one has mentioned a single problem with it. There is nothing to correct.
Rocky says
Hi Helen,
Wow this sounds like a wonderful idea and I can't wait to try it. It's on the list to make soon.
Xo
Helen S Fletcher says
Hi Rocky - It was a game changer for me. So, so easy.
Hillary says
I have made this before and it is fabulous! Thanks for the detailed notes.
Helen S Fletcher says
Hi Hillary - you're welcome. Glad they helped.