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Angel Food Cake

A tall, tender cake depends on a clean bowl, glossy whipped whites, a gentle fold, and patient upside-down cooling.
Tall golden angel food cake with a slice removed and fresh berries served alongside.

Angel food cake gets its height from whipped egg whites rather than butter or oil. Careful folding and cooling in an ungreased tube pan preserve the light, even crumb.

Start with a clean bowl

Egg whites whip best when the bowl and beaters are completely free of grease, and even a little yolk can interfere with their foam. Keep the tube pan ungreased too, because the batter needs to cling to its sides as it rises.

Make the flour easy to fold

Sifting the cake flour with part of the sugar distributes it through the batter while keeping the mixture light. A second sift removes small lumps that would otherwise require extra stirring and press air from the whites.

Glossy whipped egg whites hold gently bent peaks in a clean mixing bowl.
Glossy whipped egg whites hold a soft bend before the flour mixture is folded in.

Stop at glossy peaks

Add the sugar gradually so it dissolves into the whites instead of weighing them down all at once. Medium-stiff peaks should stand with a slight bend; dry, clumpy whites are harder to fold and can leave the cake coarse.

Fold with broad strokes

Add the flour mixture in several additions and sweep a spatula down through the center, then up around the side of the bowl. Turn the bowl as you work and stop when the last dry streak disappears, before the batter loses its airy look.

A close view of angel food cake shows its fine, pale crumb and lightly golden crust.
The finished cake has a fine, pale crumb and a lightly golden surface.

Let the cake cool suspended

Invert the pan as soon as baking ends so the soft structure can set while supported by the pan walls. Once completely cool, loosen both the outer edge and center tube with a thin knife, then serve the cake plain or with berries.

Angel Food Cake

12 servings
155 minutes total

Ingredients

  • •  12 large egg whites, room temperature
  • •  1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
  • •  1 cup cake flour
  • •  1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
  • •  1/4 tsp fine salt
  • •  1 tsp vanilla extract
  • •  2 cups fresh berries
  • •  1 tbsp confectioners' sugar, optional for serving

Method

  1. Heat the oven

    Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat to 350 F so the tall cake bakes evenly without overbrowning its top.

    Look for: The oven has reached 350 F before the batter is ready.

  2. Prepare the pan and whites

    Use a clean, completely dry 10-inch tube pan without greasing it; separate the egg whites carefully and let them lose their chill if needed.

    Look for: The pan has no oil or residue, and no yolk has entered the whites.

  3. Sift the flour mixture

    Sift the cake flour with half of the granulated sugar, then sift the mixture once more to break up lumps and lighten it for folding.

    Look for: The flour mixture is fine and evenly blended with no visible clumps.

  4. Begin whipping the whites

    Beat the egg whites in a clean mixer bowl at medium speed until uniformly foamy, with no clear liquid remaining at the bottom.

    Look for: The whites look like an even layer of fine foam rather than separate liquid and bubbles.

  5. Build glossy peaks

    Add the cream of tartar and salt, then gradually beat in the remaining granulated sugar; stop at glossy medium-stiff peaks that stand with a slight bend.

    Look for: The whites are glossy and hold a peak whose tip bends slightly instead of breaking dry.

  6. Fold and fill the pan

    Beat in the vanilla just until combined, fold the flour mixture into the whites in four additions with broad strokes, and spread the airy batter in the ungreased pan.

    Look for: No dry flour pockets remain, and the batter still looks light rather than runny.

  7. Bake until set

    Bake at 350 F for 35 to 40 minutes, without opening the oven early, until the top is lightly golden, dry-cracked, and springs back when touched.

    Look for: The surface is golden and dry, and a gentle touch leaves no lasting dent.

  8. Invert and cool

    Invert the pan immediately after baking, resting its feet on the counter or its center tube over a sturdy bottle neck; cool completely upside down for about 90 minutes.

    Look for: The cake stays suspended in the pan and feels fully cool before it is loosened.

  9. Release and serve

    Run a thin knife around the outer edge and center tube, lift the cake free, and serve slices plain or with fresh berries and a light dusting of confectioners' sugar.

    Look for: The cake releases cleanly, with its delicate crumb intact and no damp streaks at the base.