Angel Food Cake Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What ingredient makes an angel food cake rise? ›

The egg whites are actually the sole leavening ingredient providing all the cake's rise. Use freshly separated eggs because they aerate the best. Carton egg whites or egg whites that have been frozen won't expand as much during the whipping process, which will negatively affect the rise of your cake.

It also has little prongs around the top of the pan. This is so the cake can cool upside down, ensuring the best possible structure and preventing the cake from sinking in the middle. A regular baking pan will not work.

Angel food cake, or angel cake, is a type of sponge cake made with egg whites, flour, and sugar. A whipping agent, such as cream of tartar, is commonly added. It differs from other cakes because it uses no butter. Its aerated texture comes from whipped egg white.

Serving Suggestions: Fresh berries, whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, 7-minute frosting, and /or chocolate ganache are all wonderful accompaniments! Make-Ahead: Angel food cake can be prepared one day in advance; once cooled completely and removed from the tube pan, cover with plastic wrap and keep at room temperature.

Add Milk, Coffee, or Soda

Boxed cakes often call for water, but swapping it out for equal amounts of milk, coffee, or even soda will give you a moister, more tender, and flavorful cake. For white cake mix, you can use whole milk or your favorite non-dairy milk.

This cake has four main ingredients; egg whites, sugar, vanilla extract, and flour. It does not contain egg yolks, butter, or oil, so it is perfect for those watching their fat intake. It can be eaten plain with just a dusting of powdered sugar, and I really like it with fresh fruit and softly whipped cream.

Cool the angel food cake upside down. Overnight, in the refrigerator is best but you can typically remove the cake from the pan after a few hours. Once completely cooled, flip it upright. Using a knife carefully cut around the tube in the middle and the outer edges of the pan.

A small bit of moisture or egg yolk mixed in with the egg whites, a particularly humid day, or repeatedly opening your oven can also cause the cake to not rise. Over-mixing the batter once you've added the flour is another likely culprit, mix until just combined.

This recipe can be made in a classic angel food cake pan or in standard-size muffin tins/pans with paper cup liners. If the angel food cake pan used does not have a removable bottom, line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. In either case, do not grease the pan or the parchment paper liner.

Angel Cake: Given its fat-free nature, angel cake tends to have fewer calories than many other traditional cakes. The primary source of its calories is sugar and the egg whites. It's a popular choice among those who are mindful of their fat intake or are seeking a slightly "lighter" dessert option.

Which is healthier, pound cake or angel food cake? ›

No egg yolks and no butter mean the cake contains no fat. And without the fat, the cake is also lower in calories than say pound cakes, cupcakes or ice cream.

Angel food cakes are “dry”; no fat is used to make them. It contains sugar and egg white, which absorb and bind water easily. As a result, they can absorb moisture from the air quickly. Eating the cake, the day it's made provides the best experience.

Do not grease the angel food cake tube pan (one in which the center tube is higher than the walls of pan and the bottom is removable.) You want the batter to cling to the side while it is rising. A greased pan will not allow the batter to rise.

Always flip the cake pan to cool your angel food cake with the open side down. Angel food cake will continue to set as it cools, and it can sink down in the pan and collapse if you don't flip it to cool.