• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Work With Me
  • Recipe Index
  • Moments
    • Pregnancy/Baby
      • Baby Registry List
      • Thriving Postpartum: What to Expect & Postpartum Essentials for Mom
  • Shop
    • Best Kitchen Gifts
    • Baby Registry List
    • Kitchen Tools (Must Haves)
    • Pantry Staples (Baking & Cooking)
    • Food Photography Essentials
  • Instagram
JoyFoodSunshine
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • About Laura
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • Never Miss a Recipe

  • ×

    Home » Angel Food Cake

    Angel Food Cake

    Published: Jul 15, 2022 · Modified: Feb 15, 2023 by Laura · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    This is the best homemade angel food cake recipe! It’s a light and fluffy, bakery-quality angel cake that turns out perfectly every time.

    a Homemade Angel Food Cake with 3 slices cut out - 2 stacked near the cake and one on a plate

    I've been baking this angel food cake recipe as long as I can remember. It's easy to make with 7 ingredients and turns out perfectly every time.

    I prefer this homemade angel food cake to store bought because it's infused with flavor (no bland cake here)! The crusty, sugary exterior and the light and fluffy inside make it absolutely irresistible.

    The trick to making bakery-quality angel food cake is using a combination of vanilla extract and almond extract. Plus, I share my secret tip for easily removing the cake from the pan!

    In this post, we'll walk through how to make angel food cake with step-by-step photos and a video!

    a slice of Homemade Angel Food Cake on a plate with whipped cream and berries

    Angel food cake recipe: Ingredients & substitutions

    overhead photo of the ingredients in this Homemade Angel Food Cake Recipe
    • All-purpose flour. Cake flour is a good substitute for all-purpose flour.
    • Egg whites. Fresh, organic egg whites yield the best results. You can also buy liquid egg whites, just make sure they only have one ingredient: Egg whites. If they have stabilizers, emulsifiers or preservatives they might not be able to be whipped to stiff peaks.
    • Granulated sugar. superfine sugar can be used in place of granulated sugar.
    • Vanilla/almond extracts. I don't recommend making substitutions for these ingredients.
    Homemade Angel Food Cake with two slices cut out of it and berries on top

    How to make Angel Food Cake

    Let's walk through how to make angel food cake step-by-step, and don't forget to watch the video.

    Line the bottom of the cake pan with parchment paper *my signature tip!*

    Have you ever baked an angel food cake just to struggle to get it out of the pan? Well that won't happen if you follow this step!

    Begin by lining the bottom of a tube pan with parchment paper but do not grease the pan. Trace the inside and outside edges of the angel food pan with a pencil, then cut out the circle to fit in the bottom of the pan.

    This is my special, fail-proof step to making sure the cake comes out of the pan easily.

    two photos showing How to Make Angel Food Cake - lining bottom of the pan with parchment paper

    Make the cake batter

    Next, sift the flour into a medium bowl twice and set it aside. The light and airy flour results in a light and fluffy cake.

    two photos showing How to Make Angel Food Cake - sifting flour

    Then, put the egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the wire whisk attachment or in a large bowl with a handheld mixer. Beat the egg whites until the mixture becomes white and fluffy.

    two photos showing How to Make Angel Food Cake - beating egg whites & cream of tartar

    Once the mixture becomes white and fluffy, add the sugar, vanilla extract, almond extract and salt and beat until soft peaks form.

    Note. You do not want firm peaks. You want soft, pillowy peaks that fold over when lifted up.

    two photos showing How to Make Angel Food Cake - beating ingredients until soft peaks form

    Then, sift the flour one more time into the wet ingredients and stir gently to combine. Be careful not to over-mix the batter.

    two photos showing How to Make Angel Food Cake - sifting flour into egg white mixture

    Bake

    Once the batter is finished, pour it into the prepared tube pan. 

    Then, bake the cake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the cake springs back when lightly touched.

    angel food cake in baking pan before and after baking

    Next, remove the cake from the oven and invert the cake pan, placing the open side of the pan down on a cooling rack. NOTE: This is very important to ensure the cake does not fall or sink.

    Let the cake cool completely before removing it from the pan.

    angel food cake pan inverted cooling on a wire cooling rack

    Serve

    Serve the homemade angel food cake with fresh berries, a dollop of homemade whipped cream and strawberry sauce.

    It's also delicious with a dusting of powdered sugar or you can even coat it in chocolate buttercream frosting - which is how my favorite bakery in my hometown used to prepare it. Or, pour this homemade chocolate ganache over the top and let it harden.

    Homemade Angel Food Cake on a serving plate with berries and powdered sugar

    Troubleshooting tips

    Angel food cake is easy to make once you get the method down, but it's also easy for things to go wrong. Here are a few tips to make ensure your success, most are to help avoid the cake falling (and therefore becoming dense instead of light and fluffy).

    • Make sure there is no egg yolk in the batter. Separate the whites and yolks in a separate bowl so you don't accidentally get yolks into the mixing bowl.
    • Make sure you wash your mixing bowl well. Grease or butter of any kind in the batter will cause the cake to fall.
    • Do not use liquid egg whites with emulsifiers, stabilizers, etc. Use pure egg whites you separated, or a store-bought carton of egg whites that only has one ingredient - egg whites.
    • Do NOT grease the angel food cake pan. The cake needs to "grasp" the sides of the pan as it rises and cannot do that if it's greased.
    Homemade Angel Food Cake on a serving plate with berries and powdered sugar & two slices cut out

    Store/freeze

    Store leftover angel food cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

    a slice of Angel Food Cake on a plate with a bite taken out of it, fork, whipped cream and berries

    Recipe FAQs

    Can you use all-purpose flour instead of cake flour for angel food cake?

    Yes, this recipe calls for all-purpose flour and it turns out delicious! You can use cake flour for an even lighter cake.

    Can you make angel food in a regular cake pan?

    There are a few ways you can do this. I suggest reading this article for the most thorough explanation with many different ways: 5 Ways to Make an Angel Food Cake Without a Tube Pan.

    Is angel food cake fat free?

    This recipe is naturally fat-free.

    Is angel food cake healthy?

    This cake is still a special treat. Even though it may be lower in calories than some cakes since it's made mostly with egg whites, it still has a considerable amount of sugar. So I would not consider it a health food.

    Is a tube pan the same as a Bundt pan?

    No. A tube pan is different shape than a Bundt pan. Bundt pans have many nooks and crannies that angel food batter will get stuck and and make it almost impossible to get it out.

    Why do you cool angel food cake upside down?

    Cooling the cake upside down ensures it won't collapse as it cools.

    a slice of Angel Food Cake on a plate with whipped cream and berries

    If you make and love our recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don't forget to follow along with us on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Youtube - be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so we can your creations!

    Angel Food Cake

    Angel Food Cake Recipe

    Laura
    This is the best homemade angel food cake recipe! It’s a light and fluffy, bakery-quality angel cake that turns out perfectly every time.
    No ratings yet
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved!
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 40 mins
    Cooling 2 hrs
    Total Time 2 hrs 55 mins
    Course cake, Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 12 Servings
    Calories 163 kcal

    Equipment

    • tube pan (angel food cake pan)
    • measuring spoons
    • measuring cups
    • spatula
    • glass batter bowl
    • KitchenAid Mixer
    • hand mixer
    • Parchment Paper
    • fine mesh strainer

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour or cake flour
    • 1 ½ cups egg whites can use organic egg whites- the whites of 12 large eggs, room temperature
    • 1 ½ teaspoons cream of tartar
    • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    • ½ teaspoon almond extract
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line bottom of an angel food pan with parchment paper but do not grease the pan. Trace the inside and outside edges of the angel food cake pan with a pencil, then cut out the circle to fit in the bottom of the pan.
    • Sift flour into a medium bowl twice, set aside.
    • Put egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the wire whisk attachment. Beat until the mixture becomes white and fluffy.
    • Add sugar, vanilla extract, almond extract and salt and beat until soft peaks form.
    • Then, sift the flour one more time into the wet ingredients and stir gently to combine.
    • Pour the batter into the prepared angel food cake pan.
    • Bake in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the cake springs back when lightly touched.
    • Remove the cake from the oven and invert the cake pan, placing the open side of the pan down on a cooling rack.
    • Cool completely before removing from cake pan.

    Video

    Notes

    Ingredient Substitutions
    • All-purpose flour. Cake flour is a good substitute for all-purpose flour.
    • Egg whites. Fresh, organic egg whites yield the best results. You can also buy liquid egg whites, just make sure they only have one ingredient: Egg whites. If they have stabilizers, emulsifiers or preservatives they might not be able to be whipped to stiff peaks.
    • Granulated sugar. superfine sugar can be used in place of granulated sugar.
    • Vanilla/almond extracts. I don't recommend making substitutions for these ingredients.
    Store/freeze
    Store leftover angel food cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1sliceCalories: 163kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 5gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 100mgPotassium: 127mgFiber: 1gSugar: 25gCalcium: 4mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase a product through a link you clicked on here, I receive a portion of the sale. Thank you for supporting JoyFoodSunshine! 

    « Greek Orzo Salad
    Zucchini Bars »

    Did you make this recipe?

    Leave a comment and review below, then take a picture and tag @joyfoodsunshine #joyfoodsunshine on Instagram so I can see it! Sign up here to receive weekly e-mails!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sarah

      July 15, 2022 at 4:07 am

      This looks great. I’ve made homemade angel food cake before but lately reverted to using boxed mix. Your recipe has inspired me to try homemade again!

      Question: what do you make to use up the yolks 🙂

      Reply
      • Laura

        July 15, 2022 at 6:55 am

        I suggest any of my ice cream recipes! 🙂

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Search

    About Laura

    I’m Laura, a former chemistry teacher turned homeschooling mom of six beautiful babies! I create simple and delicious recipes that are tested and perfected to make cooking and baking joyful and fun!

    Click here to read more >>

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS Feed
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Most Popular Recipes

    • The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Ever
    • Best Cinnamon Rolls Recipe (Better than Cinnabon)
    • Easy Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe
    • Easy Dutch Oven No Knead Bread
    • Easy Homemade Pizza Sauce Recipe (5- Minutes)
    • Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps
      Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps (Better than P.F. Chang's)!

    Trending now

    • Blueberry Baked Oatmeal Recipe
    • Healthy Pineapple Carrot Cake
    • The Best Banana Cake Recipe
    • Egg Casserole (Egg Bake)
    • Baked French Toast Casserole
    • Best Carrot Cake Recipe
      Best Carrot Cake Recipe

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Joy Food Sunshine Logo
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS Feed
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Never Miss a Recipe

    0 shares