Easy Angel Food Cake Recipe: Light, Fluffy, and Foolproof
Looking for the best angel food cake recipe that delivers on texture, flavor, and simplicity? This light, airy dessert is easier to master than you might think. Made with no butter, this easy angel food cake recipe rises tall and fluffy—all with just a handful of ingredients and one secret tool: a digital thermometer.
What Is Angel Food Cake?
Angel food cake is an American classic known for its soft, sponge-like crumb and cloud-like lift. Unlike most cakes, it contains no butter or oil. Instead, it relies on whipped egg whites for structure and a light texture. First developed in St. Louis, Missouri in the 1880s, the recipe became a household staple by the 1930s, thanks in part to the rise of rotary egg beaters and the popularity of the Boston Cooking School Cook Book.
How to Make Angel Food Cake
Making this cake might seem technical, but anyone can do it with a few simple steps and an instant-read Thermometer like Thermapen® ONE. The process includes:
- Whipping egg whites to soft peaks
- Carefully folding in dry ingredients
- Bake in a tube pan until the internal temperature reaches 206°F.
See the full instructions below.
Why Use a Thermometer for Angel Food Cake?
Forget the toothpick test – it’s inconsistent and unreliable. The toothpick method can be inconsistent and misleading, especially with delicate cakes like angel food. It only checks for surface moisture and can come out clean even if the cake’s center isn’t fully set.
Because it doesn’t measure internal temperature, it leaves too much room for overbaking or underbaking. With an instant-read thermometer, there’s no guessing—once the center of the cake hits 206°F (97°C), you’re done. This ensures the interior is set, the crumb is moist but cooked, and there’s no risk of collapse. As Stella Parks of Serious Eats recommends, this method ensures the cake is fully set without relying on the less precise toothpick test.
Common Questions
Why do you need to fold your ingredients in?
Folding gently combines two mixtures—often a light, airy one (like whipped egg whites) with a heavier one (like cake batter). If you stir or beat instead of fold, you’ll deflate all that air you worked so hard to whip in, leading to a dense or flat result. In recipes like angel food cake, that airy structure is what makes the cake rise—there’s no baking powder or soda to help. Over-mixing would destroy the air bubbles, resulting in a rubbery or collapsed cake.
Angel food cake is a fat-free sponge cake made with whipped egg whites, sugar, and flour. It is known for being exceptionally light, fluffy, and subtly sweet.
Use a silicone spatula and a slow, deliberate motion: cut down through the center, scrape along the bottom, and lift up and over. Turn the bowl slightly with each repetition. You’re aiming to incorporate without losing volume.
While you can, we don’t recommend it. Freezing this cake will make the thawed version tough.
No. Angel food cake needs the straight sides and ungreased surface of a tube pan to rise correctly.
Over-mixing or folding too aggressively can deflate the egg whites. Be gentle during folding.
If you’ve ever pulled a dense cake, cracked cheesecake, or sunken muffins from the oven and wondered what went wrong, you’ve likely made one of the most common baking mistakes.
Easy Angel Food Cake Recipe: Light, Fluffy, and Foolproof
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 350 g 1¾ C superfine sugar (or granulated)
- 133 g (1 C + 2 Tbsp) cake flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- 12 large egg whites at room temperature
- 1½ tsp cream of tartar
- 1½ tsp Mexican vanilla or pure vanilla extract
- 25 g (2 Tbsp) freshly squeezed lemon juice
For the Topping
- 2 pints assorted fresh berries (blueberries, blackberries, raspberries) or your choice
- 1 pint (16 oz) heavy cream
- ½ C powdered sugar
- 1 tsp Mexican vanilla or pure vanilla extract or pure extract
- Zest of 1 lemon
Instructions
Preheat and Prepare:
- Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat to 325°F (163°C).
- Make sure your tube pan is completely clean and not greased.
Sift Dry Ingredients:
- In a food processor or blender, pulse the sugar until fine and powdery.
- Remove 1 cup and set aside.
- Add flour and salt to the remaining sugar in the processor and pulse 5–10 times until aerated.
Make the Meringue:
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat egg whites and cream of tartar on medium-low until foamy (about 1 minute).
- Slowly add the reserved 1 cup of sugar while increasing the speed to medium-high.
- Beat until soft peaks form (5–6 minutes), then add lemon juice and vanilla. Mix just to combine.
Incorporate Dry Ingredients:
- Sift flour mixture into the meringue in three batches.
- Gently fold with a silicone spatula after each addition to keep the batter light and airy. (see below for tips on proper folding techniques)
Bake:
- Pour into the ungreased tube pan.
- Smooth the surface and tap gently to remove bubbles.
- Bake 40–45 minutes, rotating halfway through.
- Check doneness with a Thermapen ONE. Pull at 206°F (97°C).
Cool Completely:
- Invert the pan onto a wire rack or bottle neck.
- Cool upside-down for at least 3 hours.
Release the Cake:
- Run a thin knife around the edges and the center tube.
- Gently tap to release.
Make the Whipped Lemon Cream:
- Whip heavy cream until soft peaks form.
- Add powdered sugar and vanilla, then beat to stiff peaks.
- Fold in lemon zest.
Serve:
- Use a serrated knife to slice.
- Top with whipped cream and a generous scoop of berries. Garnish with extra zest if desired.
For another quick and easy cake, check out this recipe:
