Servings
Font
Back
The Best Angel Food Cake
5 from 180 votes

The Best Angel Food Cake

The Best Angel Food Cake is a light, airy dessert made from whipped egg whites with cream of tartar and sugar, combined with sifted cake flour and flavor extracts. The resulting cake has a delicate crumb and a spongy texture achieved by careful folding and baking in an ungreased angel food cake pan to maximize height and fluffiness.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Servings: 12
Calories: 158 kcal
Course: Dessert, Cake
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 1 cup cake flour
  • 1 ½ cups sugar divided in half
  • 12 large egg room temperature, white only
  • 1 ½ tsp cream of tartar
  • ¼ tsp table salt
  • 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp almond extract must have

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat oven to 375F. Sift cake flour and 3/4 cup sugar into a bowl and set aside. 
  2. Using stand mixer or electric hand mixer on medium-high speed, beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt until it forms soft peaks. Add the other 3/4 cup sugar slowly, and then beat on high until stiff peaks form.
  3. Beating on LOW, add in flour mixture and both extracts slowly, stopping as soon as batter is incorporated. Do not over-mix. Using rubber spatula, fold in the sides and bottoms of bowl, to fully incorporate.
  4. Spoon batter into un-greased angel food cake pan. Do NOT grease the 2-piece angel food cake pan. Gently shake to even out batter.
  5. Bake 30-35 min, or until the top springs back with a gentle touch, and top is golden.
  6. Invert pan upside down, to cool completely. Run a thin knife around pan sides, and remove bottom from the sides. Gently cut bottom away from pan.

Notes

  • Ensure no egg yolk contaminates the egg whites to achieve proper volume in the meringue.
  • Soft peaks form when peaks bend slightly when the whisk is inverted; stiff peaks hold firmly without bending.
  • Do not overmix the batter when folding in flour to maintain lightness.
  • After baking, invert the pan to cool completely to keep the cake from collapsing.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1g Calories 158kcal (8%) Carbohydrates 34.5g (12%) Protein 4.5g (9%) Fat 0.2g (0%) Sodium 104mg (4%) Fiber 0.2g (1%) Sugar 25.3g (51%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 12 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 158

% Daily Value*

Serving 1g
Calories 158kcal 8%
Carbohydrates 34.5g 12%
Protein 4.5g 9%
Fat 0.2g 0%
Sodium 104mg 4%
Fiber 0.2g 1%
Sugar 25.3g 51%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.