Delicious, classic Homemade Angel Food Cake recipe! (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to a good angel food cake? ›

Egg Whites: The star of the show! They provide all of the leavening for angel food cake. Using only whites (no yolks) gives this cake a super light texture. Be sure to use only fresh eggs; liquid egg whites in a carton have been pasteurized, which can prevent them from whipping into stiff peaks.

What Does Cream of Tartar Do? Cream of tartar is an acid and helps to stabilize the whipped egg whites. There is really no substitution for cream of tartar. If you don't use cream of tartar in this recipe, the cake will collapse.

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.

The softer wheat and the lack of fat cause angel food cake to have a very light texture and taste.

Give your boxed angel food cake mix a summery twist by adding a can of crushed pineapple to it. Gently fold it into the whisked batter, careful not to deflate the mixture. If you over-whisk it, the cake will turn out chewy and dense.

The egg whites are whipped with the sugar to give to give the cake volume and help it rise. Since there's no fat in the whole recipe, the whipped egg whites aren't weighed down by anything resulting in the lightest possible texture. The cake is very pale, super light textured and super spongy.

Every angel food cake has to be cooled upside down in the pan. Why? Until the cake is completely cooled, its spongy structure hasn't set. Flipping it upside down makes sure it doesn't collapse during that process.

If you over beat the egg whites to stiff peaks, this will result in a gummy, chewy texture in the cake. Once your egg whites have reached soft peaks, turn your mixer off, remove the bowl from the stand.

In delicate sponge-type cakes (like chiffon or angel food cake) there are two moments for concern. First, when you're whipping the egg foam, and second, when you're incorporating the flour. An overmixed egg foam will be slack, wet, loose, and unable to hold peaks.

Can diabetics have angel food cake? ›

Because of this, when consumed in moderate amounts, Angel Food Cake does not affect blood sugar levels. People with diabetes can safely eat Angel Food in moderate amounts because it doesn't have simple carbohydrates and sugars, meaning that it won't cause a sudden or significant spike in blood sugar levels.

The Wilton Angel Food Cake Pan is a top option for even heat distribution and even baking every time. Made from aluminum with a non-stick body, this 10-inch cake pan will make a standard angel food cake in the traditional circular style.

Angel food cake gets its lift from beaten egg whites. 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. A homemade angel food cake isn't difficult to make and tastes far superior to most store-bought varieties.

Angel food cake recipes are also unique because they contain beaten egg whites for leavening and because no fat is used in the batter. Without the fat, there's no tenderizing effect on the batter and the gluten develops more easily, which can result in a gummy mixture.

An angel food cake is finished baking when the cake is golden brown and it springs back when touched. If the cake stays pressed when you touch it, it isn't finished baking and needs a few more minutes.

Every angel food cake has to be cooled upside down in the pan. Why? Until the cake is completely cooled, its spongy structure hasn't set. Flipping it upside down makes sure it doesn't collapse during that process.

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. Use a spatula to smooth the surface of the cake.

No butter. Angel food cakes have lower fat content than regular cakes because they are baked without butter.

It's essential to use a pan without a non-stick coating here—as when making any angel food cake—since the batter clings to the sides of the pan as it rises. A non-stick surface would prevent the cake from reaching its optimal lofty, fluffy ideal. The pan should also have the same diameter as called for in the recipe.