Homemade Angel Food Cake Recipe
Published April 16, 2021. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
You will absolutely love this easy-to-make 6 ingredient light and fluffy homemade angel food cake recipe that goes great with whipped cream and berries.
My family has a serious sweet tooth and is obsessed with dessert. It is the single most coveted meal of the day. If your family is like ours and is always looking to make new treats, then definitely try my amazing Chocolate Mousse or Blackberry Cobbler.
Angel Food Cake
Angel food cake is a white-colored sponge cake that is baked inside of a Bundt pan. it is often served with whipped cream and fresh fruit. It’s a fantastic easy-to-make light dessert that is great to serve to family or guests.
Angel food cake can be traced all the way back to Pennsylvania in mid 19th century. The invention of rotary eggbeaters during this time period made it much easier to make an angel food cake recipe. The typical ingredients are:
- Cake Flour
- Egg Whites
- Sugar
- Milk
- Cream of Tartar
How to Make an Angel Food Cake from Scratch
Follow these simple instructions for how to make an angel food cake from scratch:
Pulse some sugar in a food processor to help incorporate air and break down a little bit.
Sift the sugar and set half of it to the side in a separate bowl.
Next, sift some flour and salt into one of the bowls with sugar and whisk to combine.
In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, or a clean bowl using a hand mixer, whisk the egg whites on low speed until frothy.
Add in the cream of tartar and vanilla and mix on medium speed until medium peaks are formed about 4-5 minutes.
Next, turn the speed up to high and add the bowl with sugar in it one tablespoon at a time until it is completely mixed in and stiff peaks have been formed.
Using a rubber spatula fold in the remaining flour-sugar-salt mixture 1/3 cup at a time until it is completely mixed in.
Transfer the batter to a 4” x 9.5” Bundt pan and smooth out on the top.
Using a butter knife run through the batter a few times to make sure there are no air bubbles in the batter and that it is evenly on the bottom.
Bake at 350° for 40 to 45 minutes or until browned on top and springy when pushing down on it.
Invert the pan as soon as it is removed from the oven and let cool for at least 1 hour.
Using a knife scrape around the outside of the pan to help remove the cake and then serve with powdered sugar.
How to Make it Taste Better
Angel food cake is very light and definitely mild in flavor. One of the many ways to help make it taste better is by serving it with whipped cream. It is also commonly served with fresh fruit and most notable fresh berries which will help to enhance the flavor.
The last way to make angel food cake taste better is by brushing it with a simple syrup after slicing it and before serving it. Simple syrup is equal parts water and sugar that is brought to a boil and then cooled. This will help sweeten it up quite a bit.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: You can serve this cake as soon as it is done cooling. If you want to make it ahead, it can be made up to 2 days before serving.
How to Store: Cover and store at room temperature for up to 4 days. You can also cover it and refrigerate it for up to 6 days. This cake will not freeze that well and is not advised.
Recipe Chef Notes + Tips
- This is the angel food cake pan that I used (this is an affiliate link that allows me to make some $$ on the sale if you choose to buy it): https://amzn.to/3lKncSl
- You can substitute regular sugar for castor sugar if you do not want to pulse it in a food processor.
- If you do not have a stand mixer then you can absolutely use an electric hand mixer.
- Be sure to completely fold in the flour-sugar salt before adding more.
More Dessert Recipes
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Video
Homemade Angel Food Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup cake flour
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 12 egg whites
- 1 ½ teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- Pulse the sugar 30-35 times at high speed in a food processor.
- Sift the sugar and then divide it in half into two separate bowls.
- Sift the flour and salt into one of the bowls with the sugar and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment whisk the egg whites on low speed until they become frothy, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the cream of tartar and vanilla to the mixer on whisk on medium speed for 4-5 minutes or until stiff peaks are formed.
- Next, turn the speed to high, and then using the bowl with only sugar in it, add 1 tablespoon of that sugar at a time to the mixer until it is completely mixed in and stiff peaks are formed, about 4-5 minutes.
- Remove the bowl from the mixer and add the remaining bowl of flour-sugar-salt mixture 1/3 cup at a time and fold it in completely using a rubber spatula.
- Transfer the batter to a 4” x 9.5” Bundt pan and smooth it out on the top.
- Using a butter knife run it through the batter several times in a figure 8 motion to ensure all of the air bubbles are out of it.
- Bake the cake in the pan on the lower rack at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until browned on top and springs back up immediately after pressing on it.
- Invert the pan immediately onto a rack and cool for at least 1 hour before adding on powdered sugar and slicing and serving.
Notes
Be sure to completely fold in the flour-sugar-salt before adding more.
the first part of the recipe says one of the ingredients you’ll need, is butter…no butter in recipe
I’m not seeing that in the recipe, can you let me know where it says that you’ll need butter?
Good afternoon Chef could I use a sugar substitute like swerve for this cake? Love angel food cake but I am sugar intolerant.
Without testing it, I’m not 100% sure.
So delicious and light. Served it with a mixed berry compote and a dollop of whipped cream.
Big hit!
Excellent!
Loved this recipe today!! Made it with my 3yo granddaughter and found it simple to follow and so delicious!
I have not been able to find some of the ingredients here in France so substituted lemon juice for the cream of tartar, and had to use all-purpose flour. I also have very few kitchen appliances or tools so did my best to sift the sugar. But, It still turned out amazingly beautiful and so yummy!! 1000 times better yha Didn’t know until last week that my son’s favorite cake is Angel Food! Served it with fresh whipped cream and strawberries! It was a huge hit and I will definitely make it again
Made this the first time and it was delicious and easy. I’m gonna make it again today for Mother’s Day dinner as requested. Thanks for the recipe.
Chef Billy, do you have a recipe for a poppy seed chiffon cake? Dressed please 🥰
Hello Chef I was wondering if you can use a regular cake pan instead .I’m want to make parfait cups and will be cutting them into small pieces. Thks
probably.
JUST LIKE GRAMMA & MOM USED TO MAKE EVERY YEAR FOR MY BIRTHDAY…YUMMY!!!!!
so good!!