This angel food cake recipe uses just 6 ingredients and a method that’s far simpler than most recipes will tell you. No superfine sugar, no room-temperature egg whites, no carefully adding sugar one tablespoon at a time while praying your meringue doesn’t collapse. You start with cold egg whites and all the sugar at once, and the result is a tall, tender, melt-in-your-mouth cake every single time.
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I found this approach through Stella Parks, of BraveTart and Serious Eats fame, and it completely changed how I think about angel food cake. Her method debunks so many of the fussy steps that other recipes insist on. I reduced the sugar slightly from her version, and this is now the recipe I come back to over and over. It’s one of my top five favorite desserts and the base for my angel food cake strawberry shortcake in the summer.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Naturally low fat. No butter, no oil, no egg yolks. Angel food cake gets all its structure from whipped egg whites, making it one of the lightest cakes you can bake.
- Perfect base for other desserts. Top it with fresh berries and homemade whipped cream, turn it into a trifle, drizzle it with chocolate ganache, or serve it with a warm fruit compote. It works with everything.
- Freezes beautifully. Bake one ahead and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge whenever you need a quick dessert.
Angel Food Cake Ingredients
- Cake flour. This is the ingredient that matters most. Use bleached cake flour (not self-rising) and sift it before measuring. I use Swans Down. The bleached cake flour gives the cake its delicate, melt-in-your-mouth crumb; the low protein content means less gluten development, which keeps the cake tender.
- Egg whites. You need whites from 12 large eggs, about 2 cups (425g). Use fresh eggs and separate them when cold; cold yolks are firmer and less likely to break into the whites.
- Lemon Juice. It helps the cake rise, balances the sweetness, and keeps the batter pale in the oven. Feel free to use other acids like white or apple cider vinegar, but I prefer lemon because it’s always in my kitchen. This does not add a lemon taste.
See recipe card below for full ingredient measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
- Chocolate Angel Food Cake. Sift 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder with the cake flour before folding it into the meringue. The result is a tender, chocolatey cake that’s still light and airy.
- Coconut Angel Food Cake. Fold 1 cup of shredded sweetened coconut into the batter before pouring it into the pan. Top the finished cake with a coconut glaze for extra flavor.
- Berry Angel Food Cake. Gently fold 1 cup of fresh berries (strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries) into the batter before baking. The berries will sink slightly but create pockets of fruit throughout the cake.
- Lemon Angel Food Cake. Add 1 tablespoon of finely grated lemon zest to the egg white and sugar mixture in Step 3. Top with a lemon glaze for brightness.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
How to make Angel Food Cake
Sift the cake flour into a bowl and set it aside.
Combine egg whites, sugar, and vanilla in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix on low speed (speed 2) for 1 minute, then increase to medium-low (speed 4) and whip for 3 minutes until the mixture is dark.
Add the lemon juice and salt. Increase the speed to medium (speed 6) and whip for another 3 minutes, until thin and foamy.
Increase the speed to medium-high (speed 8) and whip for 2 to 4 minutes, until the meringue is glossy and forms soft peaks.
Fold in the flour. Sprinkle the sifted cake flour on top and fold with a flexible spatula until no dry pockets remain.
Transfer to the pan. Scrape the batter into a 10-inch ungreased aluminum tube pan with a removable bottom. Do not tap or bang the pan on the counter.
Bake for about 35 minutes until the top is puffed, golden, and firm to the touch. Immediately invert the pan onto its built-in stilts or a cooling rack and cool completely, about 2 hours.
Release the cake. Run an offset spatula around the sides of the pan, remove the center insert, then slide the spatula under the bottom to release.
Expert Tips
- Use cold egg whites. This goes against most recipes, but it works. Cold whites and sugar combined from the start create a more stable meringue base that aerates gradually and evenly.
- Stop at soft peaks, not stiff. The meringue should be glossy and form mounds that gently droop, not stiff points that stand straight up. Over-whipped meringue makes a dense cake.
- Don’t grease the pan. The batter needs to cling to the pan walls to rise, so skip non-stick coatings. Look for a pan with a removable bottom and small feet on the rim for cooling upside down. If your pan doesn’t have feet, invert it over a bottle or a set of cans. This is my favorite angel food cake pan and the one pictured in this post.
- Cool upside down with no shortcuts. The cake structure hasn’t set until it’s fully cooled. Cooling right-side up will cause the cake to compress under its own weight. Give it the full 2 hours.
- Slice with a serrated knife. A straight-edge knife pressed down will compress the cake. Use a bread knife or an angel food cake comb with a gentle sawing motion.
FAQs
Storage
Room Temperature: Once the cake is completely cooled and removed from the pan, wrap it loosely in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container. Keep it in a cool, dry place for up to 4 days. Don’t wrap it tightly while it’s still warm; trapped moisture will make the surface sticky.
Refrigerator: Wrap the cake in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil. Store for up to 1 week. Refrigeration can dry it out slightly; the extra layer of foil helps protect it.
Freezer: Wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer-safe bag or wrap in aluminum foil. Store for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature before serving. Frozen angel food cake thaws beautifully; I often bake one ahead and freeze it for a quick dessert base.
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Easy Homemade Angel Food Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons; (133g) bleached cake flour
- 2 cups (425g) cold egg whites from 12 large eggs
- 1 3/4 cups (350g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons (25 g) freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon (1g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume or use the same weight
Instructions
- Move the oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 350°F (180°C).
- Sift cake flour and set it aside.
- In a stand mixer bowl, combine egg whites, sugar, and vanilla extract. Use the whisk attachment. Start mixing on low for 1 minute, then increase to medium-low (speed 4 on a KitchenAid) and whip for 3 minutes until the mixture is dense and dark.
- With the mixer running, add lemon juice and salt. Increase speed to medium (speed 6 on a KitchenAid) and whip for another 3 minutes until the mixture is thin and foamy.
- Increase speed to medium-high (speed 8 on a KitchenAid) and continue whipping until the meringue is glossy and thick, about 2 to 4 minutes. The meringue should form soft peaks that hold their shape but are still flexible.
- Sprinkle the sifted cake flour on top of the meringue. Gently stir with a spatula to roughly combine, then fold the mixture by scraping from the bottom up until no flour pockets remain.
- Scrape the batter into a 10-inch ungreased aluminum tube pan with a removable bottom. If you see any unincorporated flour, mix it in gently.
- Bake for about 35 minutes, or until the cake is puffed, golden blond, and firm to the touch, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 206°F (97°C).
- Invert the pan onto its stilts or cooling rack and let it cool upside down for at least 2 hours until completely cool.
- Slide an offset spatula around the sides to loosen the cake. Remove the insert, then slide the spatula under the bottom to release the cake. Flip it onto a serving plate, gently pulling on the sides to release it from the center tube.
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