Angel food cake is a type of sponge cake that originated in North America in the late 19th century. It is made with egg whites and baked in a tube pan to allow the cake to rise more than other cakes. It is light and airy and will melt in your mouth, especially when served with fluffy whipped cream frosting. Its sweet, rich almond flavor goes well with fruits and berries and paired with its overall light texture makes it the perfect cake for summer.
I have always loved angel food cake so I’m not sure why I haven’t tried making it until recently. I used a classic recipe from The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook and discovered that it is surprisingly simple to make as long as you have lots of egg whites. Beating the egg whites into stiff peaks, using cake flour and ultimately not over beating the batter are important steps to keep the batter light and airy. You can top the cake with many things but whipped cream and fruit complement the light cake perfectly in my opinion. The cake is thick so I like to slice it in half and spread fluffy frosting in the center to create a creamy whipped cream filling. 
Angel Food Cake
- Total Time: 60 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
Description
This light and airy angel food cake melts in your mouth, featuring a sweet, rich almond flavor that pairs perfectly with fresh fruits and berries.
Ingredients
Angel Food Cake {The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook}
- 1 1/4 cups (163g) powdered sugar
- 1 cup (90g) cake flour
- 1 1/2 cups (355mL) egg whites (roughly 10-12 egg whites), at room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp (4,7g) cream of tartar
- 1 1/2 tsp (7,4mL) vanilla
- 1/4 tsp (1g) salt
- 1/4 tsp (1mL) almond extract
- 1 cup (192g) sugar
Whipped Cream Frosting
- 2 cups (473mL) heavy cream
- 1/4 cup (32,5g) powdered sugar
- 1/8 tsp (0,5g) salt
- 1 tsp (5mL) vanilla or almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Ensure your tube pan is clean and dry, but do not grease it.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the powdered sugar and cake flour. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer on medium speed until foamy.
- Add the cream of tartar, vanilla extract, salt, and almond extract to the egg whites. Continue beating until soft peaks form.
- Gradually add the granulated sugar, a few tablespoons at a time, beating on high speed until stiff peaks form and the sugar is dissolved.
- Gently fold the flour mixture into the egg whites, about 1/4 cup at a time, using a spatula. Be careful not to deflate the batter.
- Spoon the batter into the ungreased tube pan. Smooth the top with a spatula.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and springs back when lightly touched.
- Immediately invert the pan onto a wire rack and let the cake cool completely in the pan.
- Once cooled, run a knife around the edges to release the cake from the pan. Serve with whipped cream and fresh berries if desired.
Notes
Ensure the egg whites are at room temperature for optimal volume. Do not grease the tube pan, as this helps the cake rise properly. Inverting the pan while cooling prevents the cake from collapsing. Serve with whipped cream and fresh berries for a classic combination.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 24
- Sodium: 110
- Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 34
- Fiber: 0
- Protein: 4
- Cholesterol: 0
Oven temp omitted..375 leaves cake burned on top and goooey in center perhaps 350 for 45 min
I’ll give this a try it sounds good.
Why did you not tell us to use a chilled bowl and beaters when making the topping? I was beating it for a good 7 minutes until I finally googled how to make a whipped cream topping.
Mmmm making this topping. Any tips?
I’ve look over and over again..maybe i’m overlooking something.
but What degree of the oven you are supposed to bake??
Thanks for catching that. Bake the cake at 375 degrees F. Enjoy!!
Wow, it’s like eating a giant marshmallow! I love the idea of adding almond extract.