Classic Pillowy Soft Angel Food Cake (from egg whites)
Angel food cake makes the perfect light and airy cake for any occasion, especially in the warmer months.This homemade cake is a great way to use up leftover egg whites.
Servings: 12
Calories: 170kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 large egg whites from fresh eggs; do not use carton egg whites
- 1 cup cake flour plus 2 tablespoons
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons cream of tartar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks. To do this, use cold eggs as they separate much easier than room temperature eggs. Place two bowls or large measuring cups next to each other on a flat surface. Gently tap one egg at a time on the counter to crack the shell. Do not use the side of the bowl to crack the eggs - cracking on the counter prevents egg yolks and eggshells from getting into the bowl. Once the egg is cracked, gently separate the two halves of the shell over one of the bowls, tipping the contents into one half of the shell. With clean hands, gently tip the contents of the egg shell into your hand over your fingers, allowing the egg white to drip down into the bowl while the egg yolk remains in your fingers. Be careful not to break the yolk or get any yolk in the bowl of egg whites, as this will prevent the egg whites from whipping properly. Once all the egg white has dropped into the bowl, carefully transfer the egg yolk to the 2nd bowl. Repeat with the remaining eggs. Set aside the yolks and use them to make Chocolate Chip Pound Cake. Set egg whites aside12 large egg whites
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and salt and set aside.1 cup cake flour, ½ teaspoon salt
- In the bowl of a food processor, add sugar and process until fine and powdery, about 1 minute. Alternatively, use a blender to process the sugar. I would not recommend using a mini food processor, as it will not produce fine and powdery sugar1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- Remove approximately half the sugar and place in a bowl. Add flour/salt mixture to food processor with the remaining half of the sugar and process until aerated about 1 minute
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment affixed, add the egg whites and cream of tartar and whisk on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute1 ½ teaspoons cream of tartar
- Slowly add the reserved sugar, increase mixer speed to medium-high and whip until soft peaks form, about 6 minutes. To tell if soft peaks have formed, stop the mixer and remove the whisk attachment from the mixer. Dip the whisk attachment into the egg whites and quickly pull out, turning the whisk right side up. You should see the egg whites remain on the whisk without falling off or deflating. You will see a slight curve at the end of the egg whites. This is how you know they have formed soft peaks. If the egg whites run off the whisk and fall back into the bowl, keep whisking
- Add vanilla and almond extracts and whisk just until incorporated2 teaspoons vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon almond extract
- Remove the mixing bowl from the mixer stand. Using a fine mesh sieve or sifter, sift the flour mixture over top of the egg whites in 3 additions, folding gently with a rubber spatula after each addition until incorporated. Do not overmix to avoid deflating the egg whites
- Pour mixture into an ungreased 12-cup angel food cake pan or tube pan, using a spatula to even out the top of the cake without pressing too hard into the batter
- Bake in the preheated oven until the toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and cracks on the top of the cake appear dry, 40-45 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking.
- Remove the cake from the oven and immediately flip over onto the feet to let the cake cool completely while upside down, at least 1-2 hours. If you are using a tube pan without feet, flip cake over onto a wire rack to allow it to cool.
- Once cool, flip the cake over and run a knife or offset spatula around the outer edge of the cake to loosen it from the sides of the pan. Then, lift the cake out of the pan by lifting from the center tube. Turn the cake upside down onto a cake platter or cake stand, lifting the removable bottom from the cake. Slice with a serrated knife and serve.
Notes
- Store cake covered at room temperature for up to 2 days
- To freeze, cut into slices, wrap each slice individually in plastic wrap and place in a food storage container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature
- Use leftover egg yolks to make Chocolate Chip Pound Cake
- Recipe slightly adapted from America’s Test Kitchen
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 170kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 0.3g | Saturated Fat: 0.03g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 152mg | Potassium: 128mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 0.2IU | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 0.2mg
