This homemade Angel Food Cake recipe is light and airy with a soft texture. It's made with a few simple ingredients and comes out perfectly ever single time. When topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit, this easy angel food cake makes a stunning summer dessert.
- 1 1/2 cups egg whites (about 10-12)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract, optional
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup cake flour (or 3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp all purpose flour and 2 Tbsp cornstarch, sifted together)
- 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
- Homemade Whipped Cream (recipe linked below)
- fresh berries
- powdered sugar
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Separate eggs while cold, and allow egg whites to come to room temperature, about 30 minutes (separating eggs is easier when the eggs are cold; but the egg whites need to be at room temperature to whip properly).
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While the egg whites are coming to room temperature, in a large bowl, sift flour (either cake flour or all purpose flour + cornstarch) and powdered sugar together, 5 times.* Set aside.
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
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With a hand mixer or standing mixer on medium speed, whip egg whites, vanilla extract, almond extract (if using), salt and cream of tartar until soft peaks form.
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Gradually add granulated sugar, about 2 Tbsp at a time, beating on high, until stiff peaks form (see picture above for stiff peaks).
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Gently fold flour mixture, about 1/2 cup at a time, into the egg white mixture, until combined.
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Spoon batter into an un-greased 10 inch tube pan gently (the pan must be un-greased).
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Cut through the batter with a knife, as this removes any air pockets.
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Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the top of the cake is lightly golden brown and any of the cracks in the top of the cake look dry.
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Immediately invert the pan upside-down, allowing it to cool for about 1 hour. (I inverted mine and rested it on a heat proof bottle.) Once cooled, use a knife to loosen the sides of the cake and invert cake onto a plate/serving dish (it might take a couple gentle shakes and taps to get the cake to come out of the pan).
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Cut cake and serve with whipped cream and fresh berries.
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Cake can be stored at room temperature for a couple of days; any longer and the cake should be stored in the fridge.
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Enjoy!
*While this might seem like overkill, sifting the ingredients is imperative to making sure the angel food cake is light and airy. In my testing, I found that sifting the ingredients together 5 times yielded the lightest cake.
**Adapted from Taste of Home.