Angel Food Cake
Published Sep 02, 2026
Homemade angel food cake that bakes up soft, springy, and snow white. A simple sponge cake made with egg whites, sugar, and flour, perfect with fresh fruit.
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Angel food cake used to intimidate me a little; I’m not going to pretend otherwise. It’s one of those cakes that looks simple, but it can go wrong quickly with a single drop of egg yolk, water, etc. I did have a few slip-ups before I really got the hang of making it, but I am really glad I kept at it because Angel food cake is a rare breed of cake where I can eat a big piece and not feel weighed down afterward or like I ate a pound of sugar. Definitely worth it!
Recipe Testing Notes
For the past 10 years, I’ve tested every recipe before sharing it with you! These notes give you a peek into the process of developing this angel food cake recipe.
The egg whites are everything here, and this is where my early flops came from. The first time, I didn’t get my bowl totally clean and there was probably a little grease in it, and the whites just wouldn’t whip up to real volume no matter how long I ran the mixer. Any fat, even a speck of yolk or an oily bowl, keeps them from getting there. So now I make sure the bowl and whisk are spotless, and I let the whites come to room temperature first since they whip up higher and faster that way.
The other thing I had to learn was patience with the sugar and the folding. Dumping the sugar in all at once gave me a grainy, flat meringue, so adding it a tablespoon at a time and letting each bit dissolve is what gets those stiff, glossy peaks. And once the flour goes in, you have to fold gently, because I definitely deflated a batch by stirring too hard and ended up with a dense, sad cake instead of a fluffy one.
The pan tripped me up too, and this one feels counterintuitive. You use an ungreased tube pan on purpose, because the batter needs to grip the sides to climb and rise. The time I greased it out of habit, the cake couldn’t hold on and slid back down into itself. And you cool it upside down, which sounds strange but keeps the cake from collapsing under its own weight while it’s still soft. Both of those go against every other cake instinct I have, but they’re what make an angel food cake work.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
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Angel Food Cake Ingredients
- Egg whites: Fresh egg whites at room temperature whip to the greatest volume, which is what gives angel food cake its signature height. If separating eggs yourself, be careful not to let any yolk get into the whites since even a small amount of fat can keep them from whipping properly.
- Sugar: Use half of the granulated sugar with the flour mixture and half with the whipped egg whites.
- Dry ingredients: Just all-purpose flour, salt, and cream of tartar. You can also use cake flour here.
- Vanilla: Pure vanilla extract adds the best flavor, but you can substitute almond extract for a more traditional bakery-style angel food cake.
How to Make Angel Food Cake
These step-by-step photos walk you through how to make Angel Food Cake from scratch. For the full ingredient list and detailed instructions, head to the recipe card below, or skip straight to the → Angel Food Cake Recipe
1. Start with room temp egg whites
Add the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer. Use the whisk attachment to whisk just until slightly frothy.
2. Add cream of tartar and vanilla
Mix in the cream of tartar and vanilla, then continue beating until the egg whites become light and fluffy.
3. Gradually add the sugar
Sprinkle in half of the sugar, one tablespoon at a time. Give it about 10 seconds between each addition to incorporate into the egg whites before adding more.
4. Whip to stiff peaks
Continue mixing until the meringue is thick, glossy, and holds stiff peaks when you lift the whisk.
5. Fold in the flour mixture
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and the other half of the sugar. Sift some of the flour mixture over the whipped egg whites and gently fold it in with a spatula, taking care not to deflate the batter.
6. Finish folding the batter
Repeat with the remaining flour mixture until everything is just incorporated and no dry streaks remain.
7. Transfer to the pan
Spread the batter into an ungreased tube pan and smooth the top. Tap the pan lightly on the counter to release any large air bubbles.
8. Bake the angel food cake
Bake until the top is golden brown and the cake springs back lightly when pressed.
9. Cool upside down
Immediately invert the pan over a bottle or the pan’s feet and let the cake cool completely before removing it.
10. Remove and serve
Run a thin knife around the edges and center tube to release the cake, then lift it out of the pan and remove the base before slicing with a serrated knife.
Full Angel Food Cake Recipe
Angel Food Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ¾ cups sugar divided
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 12 large egg whites or 1 ½ cups, at room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and position your oven rack in the center.
- Sift the flour, salt, and half of the sugar together. Repeat this 4-5 times to fully combine. Set aside.
- Add the egg whites to a clean metal bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat the egg whites at medium-low speed until slightly frothy, about 3 minutes. Add the cream of tartar and vanilla, then increase speed to medium and continue whipping until the egg whites begin to fluff up, another 1 minute.
- Slowly add the remaining sugar, one tablespoon at a time. Wait about 10 seconds between each addition to allow the sugar to incorporate into the egg whites. Once all the sugar is added, increase the speed to medium-high and whip until you have stiff, glossy peaks.
- Sift about ⅓ cup of the flour mixture on top and use a rubber spatula to gently fold it into the whipped egg whites. Repeat until all the flour is incorporated.
- Pour the cake batter into an ungreased tube pan and smooth the top with the spatula. To remove any large air bubbles, firmly tap the pan on a counter 2-3 times.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes until the top is golden brown and springs back when pressed.
- Carefully remove from the oven and immediately flip the cake pan over on a bottle and allow to cool for at least 2 hours. Once cooled, run a knife around the sides and inside of the pan and lift the cake out from the mold. Then, run the knife around the bottom to release it from the base. Transfer the cake to a cake stand, bottom side up, for serving. To slice, be sure to use a serrated knife for easy cutting.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Variations
- Add citrus: Fold in 1 tablespoon lemon zest or orange zest with the flour mixture for a fresh citrus flavor.
- Frost the cake: Use a light, fluffy frosting, like my buttercream frosting, that spreads easily on the tender cake.
- Top with berries and whipped cream: Top each slice with 1 cup sliced strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, or mixed berries and a spoonful of homemade whipped cream.
Recipe Tips
- Use a tube pan. To make the best angel food cake from scratch, you’ll want to use a tube pan (also called an angel food cake pan) with a removable bottom. The tube pan helps cook the cake evenly, creating a light and airy texture. It also makes removing the cake from the pan easy.
- Sift the flour mixture 4–5 times. This process aerates the flour, removes any clumps, and helps combine everything evenly so it’s easier to fold into the whipped egg whites.
- Fold gently instead of stirring. Use a rubber spatula and fold just until the flour disappears. Overmixing will knock the air out of the batter and make the cake less fluffy.
- Cool the angel food cake upside down. This is important! Otherwise, the cake could collapse under its own weight as it cools.
Troubleshooting
The egg whites may not have reached stiff peaks, or they may have been deflated while folding in the flour. Even a small amount of egg yolk or grease in the bowl can also keep the whites from whipping properly.
If you didn’t cool the cake upside down, it can collapse as it cools. It can also sink if it didn’t bake for long enough or if you overmixed the batter after adding the flour.
This usually happens when the batter gets overmixed after adding the flour. Fold gently and stop as soon as the flour disappears to keep the cake light and airy.
Angel food cake should stick to the pan while it bakes, but it should release once it’s fully cooled. Run a thin knife around the outside edge, center tube, and bottom of the pan before removing it.
Comments
Can this be made with powdered egg whites?
Sorry, I’m not sure! I’ve never baked with powdered egg whites before. The egg whites add air to the recipe, so using powdered instead could affect the texture.