I finally perfected an Angel Food Cake from scratch, and I’m sharing the little-known technique tips that deliver consistently impressive results.

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I swear this is the best homemade angel food cake recipe. Skip the mix and make a light, fluffy cake from scratch that actually rises, even when you think it won’t.

I learned a few stubborn tricks the hard way, and now it comes out every time with a tender crumb and just a whisper of vanilla extract, and the gentle structure cake flour gives. I’ve messed with everything from Low Calorie Angel Food Cake Recipes to Angelfood Cake With Strawberries, and this version sits between nostalgia and a little bit of surprise.

Read on if you want cake that makes you go huh, really?

Ingredients

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Cake flour makes the cake super tender, mostly refined carbs and low in fiber.
Sugar adds all the sweetness, pure simple carbs, dont have vitamins and lots of calories.
Egg whites give volume and protein, very low fat, help the cake rise light.
Cream of tartar stabilizes beaten whites, no real nutrition, just makes the meringue hold up.
Vanilla extract adds warm aroma and sweetness illusion, almost no calories but big flavor.
Almond extract packs a punch, tiny bit goes far, mostly flavor not nutrients.
Lemon zest brightens flavor, adds a touch of acid and vitamin C sometimes.

Ingredient Quantities

1 cup cake flour (125 g)

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (300 g), divided

12 large egg whites room temp

1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1/4 teaspoon fine salt

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon pure almond extract (optional)

1 teaspoon lemon zest or 1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)

Confectioners sugar for dusting (optional)

How to Make this

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1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Sift the 1 cup cake flour with 3/4 cup of the sugar into a bowl, repeat the sifting once or twice so it’s light and airy, set aside.

2. Make sure the 12 egg whites are room temperature and your mixing bowl and beaters are totally clean and dry, no grease allowed or the whites wont whip.

3. In the clean bowl beat the egg whites with 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar and 1/4 teaspoon salt on medium speed until foamy.

4. Add 2 teaspoons vanilla (and the 1 teaspoon almond extract or lemon if using) once foamy, then start adding the remaining 3/4 cup sugar very slowly, a tablespoon at a time, while you beat on medium-high until stiff, glossy peaks form but stop before the whites look dry.

5. Sift the flour-sugar mixture over the whipped whites in three additions. Fold it in gently with a spatula, cutting down the center and scooping up the sides, rotating the bowl as you go, until you have no streaks; be gentle so you dont deflate the batter.

6. Pour the batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan, smooth the top with a spatula, and run a thin knife through once or twice to pop any large air bubbles. Do not grease the pan or the cake wont climb the sides.

7. Bake 30 to 40 minutes until the top is pale golden, it springs back when touched lightly and a skewer comes out clean. Try not to open the oven too much while it bakes.

8. As soon as it comes out of the oven invert the pan and let it cool completely upside down on a bottle or funnel (this prevents collapse), at least 1 to 2 hours.

9. When fully cool, run a thin knife around the tube and the outer edge to loosen, invert onto a plate, dust with confectioners sugar if you like, slice and serve.

Equipment Needed

1. Oven set to 350 F (175 C)
2. Fine mesh sieve or flour sifter for sifting the flour and sugar
3. Large mixing bowl thats completely clean and dry dont let any grease touch it
4. Electric mixer with whisk or a hand mixer with beaters to whip the egg whites
5. Rubber spatula for gentle folding and smoothing the batter
6. Measuring cups and spoons for flour sugar extracts and zest or juice
7. 10 inch tube pan ungreased for baking the cake
8. Thin knife or skewer to pop big air bubbles and to loosen the cake later
9. Bottle or funnel to invert the pan on while the cake cools so it wont collapse
10. Plate or cooling rack for unmolding dusting and serving

FAQ

Q: Why do we use cake flour instead of all purpose flour? A: Cake flour gives a lighter, more tender crumb so the cake stays airy. If you only have all purpose, measure 1 cup AP minus 2 tablespoons, then add 2 tablespoons cornstarch, sift it well, and use that instead, it works pretty good.

Q: Why is the sugar divided and how should I add it? A: Half the sugar gets sifted with the flour to keep it light, the rest is slowly beaten into the egg whites to stabilize the meringue. Add the sugar a spoonful at a time once the whites are foamy so they get glossy and firm but not grainy.

Q: How do I know when the egg whites are done and what if I overbeat them? A: Stop when you get stiff glossy peaks that hold a point when you lift the whisk. If they look dry or start to break, you overbeat. You can sometimes rescue slightly overbeaten whites by adding one fresh room temp egg white and gently beating until smooth, but very overbeaten is hard to fix.

Q: Should I grease the pan? A: No, do not grease the tube pan. Angel food batter needs to cling to the pan sides to rise. Use an ungreased tube pan with a removable bottom, and after baking invert it to cool so it does not collapse.

Q: How do I fold the flour into the whites without deflating them? A: Sift the flour mixture, add it in thirds and use a rubber spatula. Cut through the center, scoop under and fold over while turning the bowl, gentle and quick, keep as much air as possible. A few streaks of flour are okay, dont overwork it.

Q: How should I store or freeze the cake? A: For best texture keep it at room temp in a cake keeper or loosely wrapped for up to 2 days. For longer keep, wrap tightly in plastic then foil and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw wrapped at room temp so it stays moist.

Homemade Angel Food Cake Recipe Substitutions and Variations

Cake flour: swap 1 cup cake flour (125 g) with 1 cup all-purpose flour, remove 2 tablespoons from that cup and stir in 2 tablespoons cornstarch, then sift 2–3 times. Gives a lighter crumb like cake flour.
Granulated sugar: use superfine or caster sugar 1:1 (it whips into meringue easier). If you only have regular granulated, pulse it in a food processor 20–30 seconds to make it superfine. Coconut sugar works 1:1 for flavor but will make the cake darker and the meringue less glossy, so expect a different result.
Egg whites: use pasteurized liquid egg whites instead of fresh whites — 12 large whites ≈ 1 1/2 cups (360 ml). For a vegan option use aquafaba (chickpea brine): about 3 tablespoons aquafaba per egg white, so roughly 36 tablespoons (≈2 1/4 cups) for 12 whites; whip longer and you might need a bit more sugar.
Cream of tartar: replace with lemon juice or white vinegar, using about 1 teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar for every 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar. So for 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar use about 3 teaspoons (1 tablespoon) lemon juice or vinegar. You can skip it if your whites are super fresh but the meringue may be less stable.

Pro Tips

1) Weigh everything, dont eyeball flour or sugar. Cake flour packs differently if you spoon or scoop, so a kitchen scale makes a huge difference. If you dont have a scale, spoon the flour into the cup and level it off with a knife. Also, to get egg whites to room temp fast, put the whole eggs in warm tap water for 8 to 10 minutes.

2) Clean, dry bowl and beaters are everything, even a tiny bit of grease will stop the whites from whipping up. If your whites arent glossy, try a copper or stainless bowl, or add the cream of tartar a little earlier. If you accidentally overbeat and they go grainy, you can sometimes rescue them by gently beating in one fresh room temp egg white, slowly, until it smooths out.

3) Folding matters more than how fast you do it. Sift the flour mix right over the whites and fold in thirds using a shallow scoop from the bottom up, rotate the bowl as you go, stop as soon as no streaks remain. Work quickly though, because the more time you take the more the foam will deflate.

4) For cleaner slices and better texture after baking: cool fully upside down, then chill the cake for 15 to 20 minutes before slicing. Use a serrated knife warmed under hot water and wiped between cuts for neat edges. Store wrapped or in an airtight container so it doesnt dry out.

Homemade Angel Food Cake Recipe

Recipe by Tina Bueller

0.0 from 0 votes

I finally perfected an Angel Food Cake from scratch, and I’m sharing the little-known technique tips that deliver consistently impressive results.

Servings

servings

Calories

153.5

kcal

Equipment: 1. Oven set to 350 F (175 C)
2. Fine mesh sieve or flour sifter for sifting the flour and sugar
3. Large mixing bowl thats completely clean and dry dont let any grease touch it
4. Electric mixer with whisk or a hand mixer with beaters to whip the egg whites
5. Rubber spatula for gentle folding and smoothing the batter
6. Measuring cups and spoons for flour sugar extracts and zest or juice
7. 10 inch tube pan ungreased for baking the cake
8. Thin knife or skewer to pop big air bubbles and to loosen the cake later
9. Bottle or funnel to invert the pan on while the cake cools so it wont collapse
10. Plate or cooling rack for unmolding dusting and serving

Ingredients

1 cup cake flour (125 g)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (300 g), divided
12 large egg whites room temp
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pure almond extract (optional)
1 teaspoon lemon zest or 1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)
Confectioners sugar for dusting (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Sift the 1 cup cake flour with 3/4 cup of the sugar into a bowl, repeat the sifting once or twice so it’s light and airy, set aside.
Make sure the 12 egg whites are room temperature and your mixing bowl and beaters are totally clean and dry, no grease allowed or the whites wont whip.
In the clean bowl beat the egg whites with 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar and 1/4 teaspoon salt on medium speed until foamy.
Add 2 teaspoons vanilla (and the 1 teaspoon almond extract or lemon if using) once foamy, then start adding the remaining 3/4 cup sugar very slowly, a tablespoon at a time, while you beat on medium-high until stiff, glossy peaks form but stop before the whites look dry.
Sift the flour-sugar mixture over the whipped whites in three additions. Fold it in gently with a spatula, cutting down the center and scooping up the sides, rotating the bowl as you go, until you have no streaks; be gentle so you dont deflate the batter.
Pour the batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan, smooth the top with a spatula, and run a thin knife through once or twice to pop any large air bubbles. Do not grease the pan or the cake wont climb the sides.
Bake 30 to 40 minutes until the top is pale golden, it springs back when touched lightly and a skewer comes out clean. Try not to open the oven too much while it bakes.
As soon as it comes out of the oven invert the pan and let it cool completely upside down on a bottle or funnel (this prevents collapse), at least 1 to 2 hours.
When fully cool, run a thin knife around the tube and the outer edge to loosen, invert onto a plate, dust with confectioners sugar if you like, slice and serve.

Notes

Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.