Angel Meals Cake | Life, Love and Sugar

June 22, 2023

Let me present you find out how to make the finest angel meals cake ever with simply six substances! This basic cake is gentle, ethereal, and SO significantly better than any store-bought model. I can’t wait so that you can attempt it.

Overhead of angel food cake with a slice taken out of it topped with and surrounded by fresh berries.

The Greatest Angel Meals Cake Recipe

This cake is likely one of the lightest desserts you’ll ever eat. It’s made up of egg whites whipped right into a frenzy with cream of tartar to stabilize it, vanilla extract, and a little bit of sugar. A totally sifted flour combination is gingerly folded into the egg whites in order to keep up as a lot quantity as potential. As soon as baked, the result’s a silky, cloud-like cake that’s so elegant and crowd-pleasing.

The most effective half about it’s that with solely 40 minutes of energetic kitchen time, you find yourself with a cake that’s simply so significantly better than store-bought. Belief me – you’ll by no means purchase one other one once more after tasting do-it-yourself. Whether or not you serve slices of this do-it-yourself angel meals cake with some recent whipped cream and berries, or layer it into one other dessert, you’ll be transported to dessert heaven.

A slice of angel food cake on a plate with fresh berries.

Why You’ll Love This Basic Angel Meals Cake

This do-it-yourself angel meals cake is certainly one of my absolute favorites. Listed below are a few of the finest issues about it (for my part).

  • Only a few substances. I like that this angel meals cake recipe solely requires 6 substances, most of which you possible have already got in your kitchen. This makes it a no brainer recipe to whip up when you end up within the temper for baking.
  • Texture. This cake is so gentle and fluffy that it’s like sinking your tooth right into a cloud. Plus, the just about silky texture is to die for.
  • The proper canvas. This easy vanilla cake has a refined sweetness that lends itself fantastically to a wide range of toppings. Make it your personal with one or a number of of the toppings listed within the “What to Serve with Do-it-yourself Angel Meals Cake” part under. You possibly can even make it as a 9×13 cake and embellish it.
  • Easy magnificence. Angel meals cake is a type of desserts which you could current to just about any crowd and obtain “oos” and “ahhs”. Your company will suppose you’ve been slaving away all day when actually you solely spent 40 minutes within the kitchen.

What Is An Angel Meals Cake?

Angel meals cake is a light-weight, ethereal sponge cake constituted of nothing however egg whites, cream of tartar, flour, sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. It derives its cloud-like texture from totally sifted substances and punctiliously, totally whipped egg whites that create a stupendous construction for the cake. It has been an American favourite for the reason that nineteenth century.

Are Sponge Cake and Angel Meals Cake the Identical?

Sponge cake refers to a household of desserts that comprise no fat within the type of butter, oil, and many others.. As a substitute, the moisture in a sponge cake comes from eggs (typically simply the whites) which can be whipped right into a frenzy to create quantity within the batter. They’re normally gentle, fluffy, and ethereal. Angel meals cake is a sort of sponge cake however not all sponge cake is angel meals cake.

Ingredients for angel food cake separated into bowls.

Recipe Substances

It solely takes 6 substances to make this gloriously easy cloud-like cake. Right here’s what you’ll need. Don’t overlook to scroll to the recipe card under for precise measurements.

  • Cake flour OR all-purpose flour – Whereas cake flour lends a tighter crumb and is extra conventional in angel meals cake, it has a definite taste to it that I don’t love. All-purpose flour doesn’t have a taste (for my part) and it produces a looser crumb that I desire. Both flour will work, it simply is determined by your choice.
  • Sugar – Sure, sugar provides sweetness. However it additionally helps to stabilize the egg whites together with the cream of tarter.
  • Salt – For taste. Don’t underestimate it.
  • Egg whites – The eggs must be at room temperature. In any other case, they won’t maintain quantity as properly.
  • Cream of tartar – Cream of tartar is an acid that helps stabilize the whipped egg whites. Since a lot of the quantity and construction of the cake comes from these egg whites, you’re not going to need to take the danger of substituting this ingredient.
  • Vanilla extract – For taste. There’s not a lot else on this cake for taste, so I like to recommend high quality extract on this cake.

Cake Flour vs. All Objective Flour

Many recipes will inform you which you could solely use cake flour for angel meals cake. Nonetheless, I examined this cake a number of instances with all function flour and cake flour. It really works out completely both method.

The distinction is in style and texture. Cake flour has a definite taste that at all times comes via when it’s utilized in desserts. It additionally lends a tighter crumb. All function flour doesn’t have a taste (for my part) and provides a looser crumb. Both flour will work, it simply is determined by your choice.

As for the quantity of flour, should you’re serving the cake merely as a cake, I’d use 3/4 cup of flour. It’s particularly gentle that method. However should you’re going to make use of the angel meals cake in one thing like a trifle and wish it to be just a little extra substantial, then go along with 1 cup.

Professional Suggestions for Whipping Egg Whites

  • Use grease free bowls. The egg whites must be cracked into and whipped in a very grease free bowl. Don’t use plastic bowls, which have a tendency to carry onto grease. You may even need to wipe down your bowl and utensils with lemon juice earlier than you get began.
  • You additionally don’t need any egg yolks in your whites. I counsel separating the whites in a separate bowl, then including them to the remaining in order that if any yolk by accident makes into one white, you don’t spoil all of them.

Make Angel Meals Cake

In simply 40 minutes you can be popping what might turn into your new favourite cake recipe into the oven. Right here’s find out how to make angel meals cake. Be sure you scroll to the recipe card under for extra detailed directions.

  • Prep. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  • Sift. Mix half of the sugar, flour, and salt. Sift them collectively 5 instances.
  • Whip the egg whites on low velocity till frothy. Add the cream of tartar and vanilla extract. Improve velocity to medium.
Sifting dry ingredients for cake batter.
Adding cream of tarter and vanilla extract to frothy egg whites.
  • Whip some extra. Add the remaining sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, ready 5-10 seconds between every addition. Improve to medium-high velocity and whip till it reaches stiff peaks.
Egg whites whipped to stiff peaks with cream of tarter, vanilla extract, and sugar.
Whipped egg whites on a whisking attachment.
  • Gently fold the flour combination into the egg whites 1/4 cup at a time. Sift the flour combination as you add it.
  • Pour the batter right into a tube pan. Clean it out and run a knife via the batter and across the exterior wall and inside wall of the pan to interrupt up any air bubbles.
  • Bake for 28-Half-hour.
Angel food cake batter in a mixing bowl.
Angel food cake batter in an angel food cake pan ready to be baked.
Angel food cake baked in a cake pan.
  • Cool. The wrong way up. Take away the cake from the oven and instantly flip it the other way up to chill. Cool for about an 1 hour.
  • Take away the cake from the pan. As soon as cooled, flip the proper aspect up. Run a knife or spatula alongside the inside and outside partitions of the pan to loosen it. Invert the cake onto a serving plate.

The Upside Down Cooling Methodology

So, should you learn via my directions totally, you should have seen that I counsel that you just cool your angel meals cake the other way up. Why? As a result of this can assist guarantee that the cake doesn’t collapse because it cools.

This cake is outlined by its fluffy texture and shockingly structured composition regardless of its airiness. When the cake comes out of the oven, that construction shouldn’t be set but. Cooling it the other way up offers it time to set whereas guaranteeing that the load of the cake doesn’t trigger it to fall in.

Overhead of angel food cake topped with and surrounded by fresh berries.

Suggestions for Success

This cake is splendidly easy nevertheless it does require the baker to concentrate to some vital particulars. Listed below are a number of ideas and tips that can allow you to obtain the right angel meals cake.

  • Sift. Be sure you sift the dry substances totally. I like to recommend sifting them 5 instances upon combining them after which once more as you add them to the egg white combination. This may remove any lumps from the combination, which is able to allow you to obtain a clean, silky cake. It should additionally preserve the dry substances gentle and ethereal, making them simpler to include into the egg combination and, by so doing, assist stop you from over-mixing and knocking quantity out of the egg whites.
  • Room temperature egg whites. One other essential step in guaranteeing the egg whites whip up correctly is ensuring that they’re at room temperature. So, after separating the whites from the yolks, permit the whites to return to room temperature earlier than whipping them up.
  • Yolk-free egg whites. The entire rise on this cake comes from the air whipped into the egg whites, so it’s tremendous vital that they whip up correctly. How? First, ensure that the whites are 100% recent and yolk-free. I like to recommend separating every white right into a separate bowl earlier than including it to the remainder of the whites to attenuate waste in case of an error. Do that when the eggs are chilly. It’s simply simpler.
  • Grease-free. When separating and whipping the egg yolks, it can be crucial that any bowls and utensils you employ are fully grease free. I counsel avoiding plastic bowls (they maintain onto grease) and possibly even wiping every part down with lemon juice earlier than you get began. Any grease left behind will get in the best way of the egg whites’ capability to whip up correctly.
  • Combine gently and never an excessive amount of. When folding the dry substances into the egg white combination, achieve this gently and solely till they’re simply integrated into the batter. No extra. Over-mixing and/or mixing too aggressively may cause the air to be knocked out of the freshly whipped egg whites, leaving you with a flat angel meals cake.
  • Don’t grease the pan. Greasing the pan can intervene with the best way the cake rises. So resist the temptation. Sadly, this may make it difficult to get the cake out of the pan. Be affected person and permit it to chill for a minimum of 1 hour earlier than working a knife across the edges and heart of the pan to loosen it. It ought to come out simply tremendous.
  • Upside-down cooling. Be sure you flip the cake the other way up instantly after eradicating it from the oven. Enable it to chill the other way up for a minimum of 1 hour. See the part above titled “The Upside Down Cooling Methodology” for extra data.
  • Slice rigorously. Slice the cake with a serrated knife and use a cautious sawing movement. It’s a fragile dessert and straightforward to smash.

What to Serve with Do-it-yourself Angel Meals Cake

Angel meals cake has a splendidly refined sweetness to it that permits it to pair fantastically with numerous tasty toppings. Listed below are a few of my favourite issues to serve it with. Be happy to attempt one by one or to mix a number of to make the final word dessert.

Angel food cake on a cake stand topped with and surrounded by fresh berries.

FAQs

What Does Angel Meals Cake Style Like?

Angel meals cake has a refined vanilla taste. It’s candy, however not overpowering.

Is angel meals cake gluten free?

Angel meals cake is made with cake flour or all function flour, so it isn’t gluten free. Nonetheless, you will discover gluten free variations of angel meals cake.

Retailer

If you end up with leftover angel meals cake, seal it in an hermetic cake provider or an identical giant hermetic container and retailer it at room temperature for as much as 4 days. When you don’t have a container giant sufficient to suit your complete cake, reduce it into sections earlier than sealing in hermetic containers. You may also wrap the cake in a double layer of plastic wrap.

Can You Freeze Angel Meals Cake?

You’ll be able to! I counsel chopping the cake into slices. Wrap every slice in a double layer of plastic wrap earlier than inserting it into a big Ziplock bag or hermetic container together with the opposite wrapped slices. Take away as a lot air as potential from the container and retailer it within the freezer for as much as 3 months.

If you find yourself able to get pleasure from, take away the wrapped cake slices from the container and place them within the fridge to thaw. Unwrap them gently and serve along with your favourite topping/s.

Extra Basic Cake Recipes

Virtually everybody loves cake. It’s a basic dessert that we regularly affiliate with some kind of celebration or one other. I am keen on all issues cake and suppose that it’s unimaginable to have too many cake recipes below your belt. As soon as you’re achieved making an attempt this recipe, check out a few of these different classics.

See How To Make Angel Meals Cake

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Overhead of angel food cake with a slice taken out of it topped with and surrounded by fresh berries.