Homemade Angel Food Cake

Homemade Angel Food Cake is one of my favorite recipes and so much better than store-bought angel food cake. It’s easy to make and comes out fluffy and perfect.

The delicate cake is made up of simple ingredients. Once it bakes, you can add a variety of additional sweets to the entire cake, such as berries or frosting.

Fluffy Angel Food Cake

Angel food cake was one of my favorite recipes that my grandmother made. She added a cream cheese frosting, and it was to die for.

There are a lot of treats you can make with angel food cake. The cake can be covered in chocolate frosting, cream cheese frosting, or topped with some fresh berries and whipped cream.

Angel food cake can sometimes be a little scary to make.

It seems like we have to beat the egg whites perfectly and add the ingredients at just the perfect time. But it really is a simple recipe that will turn out perfectly.

I bought the angel food cake pan at the thrift store for less than two dollars. I cleaned it up and decided it needed to have something baked in it.

So, an easy angel food cake recipe was the perfect treat.

Angel Food Cake Ingredients

• Cake flour
• Sugar
• Egg whites (room temperature)
• Cream of tartar
• Salt
• Vanilla extract

Full printable recipe with measurements and instructions listed at the bottom of the post in the recipe card.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Before you get started, separate your whites out and leave them on the counter for about an hour to bring them to room temperature.

Add the cake flour to a sifter. 

Add the sugar to the sifter. 

How do you make cake flour from all-purpose flour?

I didn’t have any cake flour on hand, and I didn’t want to make a run to the grocery store.

You can make cake flour by combining all-purpose flour and cornstarch. I try to keep cornstarch on hand, and it lasts forever.

To make one cup of cake flour:

Fill one measuring cup with all-purpose flour and remove two tablespoons of the flour. Then add two tablespoons of cornstarch to the cup. Sift it together, and you’ve got cake flour.

Sift the cake flour and sugar together four times. Yes, four times. You want the cake to be as fluffy and light as possible. Set aside.

Add the twelve room-temperature egg whites to a large mixing bowl. Since all eggs are different sizes, you need about 1-2/3 cups of egg whites for this recipe. If it’s a tad over or under, that’s ok. 

Add the cream of tartar. Whip the egg whites until they have soft peaks.

For this recipe, I used the whisk attachment on a stand mixer. If you don’t have a stand mixer, a hand mixer will work great.

• Is cream of tartar necessary for meringue? No, but it sure makes your egg whites extra fluffy.
• What is the purpose of cream of tartar in meringue? To help stabilize the egg whites. The cream of tartar can help the egg whites triple their size and handle the heat a little better if you’re making a pie with meringue.

Pour the salt and vanilla into the whipped egg whites. 

Pour the remainder of the sugar into the meringue and mix together. 

Add the sifted sugar and flour mixture to the egg whites and fold gently into the mixture with a spatula. (If you use the mixer, it might flatten the egg whites).

Pour the cake mixture into an ungreased cake pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the cake springs back when you touch the top of it. 

After the cake bakes, invert it so it’s resting upside down on a cooling rack.

After it cools, gently slide a knife around the sides, center, and bottom (For best results, you’ll need the angel food cake pan that has the bottom that comes out separately). 

Now you can decorate any way you’d like to.

You can make so many delicious desserts with angel food cake. You can add chocolate, vanilla, cream cheese, or any type of frosting.

Optional Toppings

• Spread some homemade lemon curd from Fresh April Flours on top of the cake.
• Pour some chocolate ganache over the top.
• Fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, or any type of fresh fruit.
• Homemade strawberry syrup.
• Try a caramel or butterscotch glaze.
• If you have leftover cake, dip it into a chocolate fountain or fondue.
• You can fry the angel food cake, as well. So many choices!

Homemade Angel Food Cake Recipe

The classic cake recipe is so easy to make, and if you follow the directions, it will come out perfectly.

The homemade cake tastes so much better than store-bought and will be a hit at parties and gatherings! And I know it will become one of your favorite desserts.