Bake a Better Angel Food Cake

There is a reason angel food cake is a favorite dessert — it’s tender, light as air, and tastes divine. What’s more, it’s virtually fat-free (no butter or oil in the batter) and very versatile. If you’re looking for a heavenly angel food cake recipe, our classic recipe is a good place to start.

Since it contains no leavener, the cake’s rise comes from whipped egg whites. Whisking up the perfect meringue is crucial: Overbeating will cause the whites to deflate, while underbeating will not incorporate enough air. Dry ingredients are folded into the meringue and the batter is transferred to an ungreased angel food cake pan. This specialty pan is shaped like a tube to help with the rise, and has a removable bottom and two legs on it. Cooling the cake upside down on the pan’s legs prevents the top from sinking.

Serve alone or topped with whipped cream, chocolate sauce, or fresh fruit. Slices are even excellent the next day!

Tips for Sweet Success
Follow these tips to ensure your angel food cake comes up light, fluffy, and delicious.

See More: Quick, One-Pot Meal Ideas To Feed the Whole Family

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Try a Bundt Pan
Don’t have an Angel Food cake pan; try baking in a Bundt pan and cooling upside down over a glass bottle.

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Release the Air Bubbles
Once the batter is transferred to the pan, run a knife through it to help release any air bubbles. This will result in a cake with a very fine crumb.

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Sift the Flour and Sugar
Sifting the four and sugar helps to lighten the texture. Swapping out all-purpose flour with cake and granulated sugar with superfine also helps.

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Use a Serrated Knife
Don’t smush your cake; use a serrated knife to slice it so you have perfectly tall, airy slices.

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Our Go-To Classic Angel Food Cake Recipe (top image)
Light, fluffy and airy—our classic angel food cake recipe is one you’ll use again and again.

FOR THE ELDERFLOWER SYRUP (Optional)
4 cups water
4 cups sugar
20 elderflower heads
Skin and juice of 2 lemons

FOR THE CAKE
1 cup sifted cake flour
1 1/2 cups superfine sugar
14 large egg whites (1 3/4 cups), room temperature
1 tablespoon warm water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

FOR SERVING
Whipped cream
Berries

1. Make the elderflower syrup: In a heavy saucepan, combine water and sugar and bring to a simmer over high heat, stirring occasionally until simple syrup is dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. Remove the elderflower heads from their stems, discarding stems and placing heads in a large heat-safe bowl. Add lemon skin and juice to bowl and pour simple syrup into bowl, stirring to combine.

3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a towel and allow to sit at room temperature for at least 2 days and up to 4 days. Strain syrup through a cheesecloth-lined sieve and discard solids. Syrup can be stored in an airtight container for several weeks.

4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. With a fine sieve, sift together flour and 3/4 cups sugar four times.

5. In the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed, beat together egg whites and water until foamy. Add salt, cream of tartar, and vanilla; beat until soft peaks form. Increase speed to medium-high and sprinkle in remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Beat until stiff but not dry.

6. Transfer to a large bowl. In six additions, sift dry ingredients over meringue, folding in quickly but gently.

7. Pour batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan with removable bottom. Smooth top with an offset spatula. Run a knife through batter to release air bubbles. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until golden brown and springy to touch.

8. Invert pan on its legs or over the neck of a glass bottle and let cool completely, about 1 hour. Carefully run a long offset spatula or knife around the inner and outer perimeter of the pan to release cake. Place on a plate, bottom side up; cover with plastic wrap until ready to use.

9. Serve each slice with some elderflower syrup poured around the base and whipped cream and berries on top.

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