Angel Food Cake (Printable)

A cloud-like dessert made from whipped egg whites and cake flour, creating an irresistibly light and sweet treat.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 1 cup cake flour, sifted
02 - 1½ cups granulated sugar, divided
03 - ¼ teaspoon fine salt

→ Egg Mixture

04 - 12 large egg whites, at room temperature
05 - 1½ teaspoons cream of tartar
06 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
07 - ½ teaspoon almond extract (optional)

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Ensure your angel food cake pan (tube pan) is clean and completely dry. Do not grease the pan.
02 - Sift together cake flour, ¾ cup sugar, and salt in a bowl. Repeat sifting three times for optimal aeration. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat egg whites on medium-high speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and continue beating until soft peaks form.
04 - Gradually add the remaining ¾ cup sugar in small increments while beating, until stiff, glossy peaks form. Add vanilla and almond extracts; mix gently.
05 - Sift the flour mixture over the whipped egg whites in 3 additions, gently folding with a spatula after each, just until combined. Do not overmix.
06 - Spoon batter evenly into the ungreased tube pan. Smooth the top with a spatula and run a knife through the batter to remove large air pockets.
07 - Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until the cake is golden and springs back when lightly touched.
08 - Immediately invert the pan onto a bottle or wire rack and let it cool completely upside down for about 1–2 hours.
09 - Once cool, run a thin knife around the edges to loosen and release the cake. Serve as is, or with fresh berries and whipped cream.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The texture is impossibly light, like eating a cloud that actually satisfies your sweet tooth
  • You probably have everything in your kitchen right now, except maybe cake flour
  • It is the kind of dessert that makes people think you spent hours when really it was about technique
02 -
  • Any trace of yolk or fat in your egg whites will prevent them from whipping properly. Separate each egg into a small bowl before adding to the main bowl.
  • The cooling process is just as important as the baking. Cutting into the cake while it is still warm will make it collapse.
03 -
  • Resist the urge to open the oven door during baking. Even a quick peek can cause an angel food cake to fall in the center.
  • Use a metal spatula to run around the edges after cooling, not plastic, which can flex and tear the delicate crust.
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