the PERFECT homemade ANGEL FOOD CAKE RECIPE

The PERFECT Angel Food Cake recipe that is homemade from scratch. A perfect light and fluffy birthday cake recipe for the ages!

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Growing up, Angel food cake was the most frequently baked cake in my household. It was made for most birthdays [especially my sister’s], and many sundays, and also just to have around! My mom liked it because it was fat free and it was easy and reminded her of HER mom.

Although she remembers her mom making this delicacy from scratch, the premade cake mix was no foreign box in our pantry. It is so easy…all you add is WATER!

Well, because I relish in the HOMEMADE and from SCRATCH….I have dabbled in the angel food cake making for a few years now. And this year, when Jude said he wanted a cake with Strawberries and Ice cream in the middle, there was no other choice than the ANGEL FOOD CAKE.

I was delighted. I love to try new recipes and love to perfect the honored and beloved recipes! This was a challenge on if we could make the angel food cake taste just like the box.

Although my mom’s eyes grew heavy at the idea at first….she was soon on board with the fun experiment.

Now, because Jude turned 8- our goal was to make 2 angel food cakes and put them together to make an 8. Clever I know:) So that meant we needed to make 2. And we ended up making 3 due to trial and error. But now! We are pros and know which recipe and which method works the best!

Although there are many recipes out there in the web….I chose 2 recipes; one from an old recipe book and one from Sally’s Baking Addiction. Both recipes called for the same ingredients. I fine tweaked it to my liking. Thanks to Sally for the excellent baking instructions! They are so clear and easy to follow.

INGREDIENTs NEEDED for ALL angel food cakes:

• Egg whites
• White sugar
• Cream of tarter
• Vanilla
• Almond [not called for in Sally’s Baking addiction]
• Cake flour
• Salt

VARIABLES in the Angel Food Cake Experiment…

1. Egg whites from REAL eggs VS. Egg whites from the carton
2. Blending the granulated sugar to superfine texture VS. using granulated sugar as is
3. Mixing in the cake flour/sugar mixture via the mixer VS. FOLDING it in by hand
4. Baking at a high temp [375 degrees] for shorter amount of time VS. baking at lower temp [325] for longer amount of time.

CAKE #1: IT FAILED!!

We used—

• 12 egg whites from REAL eggs
• 1 3/4 cup white granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp cream of tarter
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons cake flour

METHOD:

#1: Sifted the cake flour with half the granulated sugar 4 times. Set aside.

#2: Added the cream of tarter + vanilla + almond + salt to the egg whites and WHIPPED until foamy.

#3: Added the other half of the granulated sugar and whipped until STIFF PEAKS…about 2 min.

#4: Added the cake flour/sugar to the whipped STIFF peaks while on the mixer. It told me to do that. BAD idea.

#5: Spread it into a silicone angel food cake pan and baked at 375 for 35 min.

OUTCOME:

This cake was soooo fluffy in the oven and looked beautiful! I baked it the same time as cake number 2. [see below]. I thought cake #1 was going to the be the winner for sure! Until it fell just as fast as it rose once coming out of the oven….and then while it was cooling upside down on the counter, it fell OUT onto the counter ha! And THEN…the texture was way too dense and eggy. I think it was under done– although the outside edges were brown.

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CAKE #2: OKAY CAKE

We used….

• 1 2/3 cup Kirkland Egg Whites from the container [mistake]
• 1 3/4 cup sugar [blended half of it in the blender until it was very fine]
• 1 1/2 tsp cream of tarter
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons cake flour, sifted

METHOD:

#1: Sifted the cake flour 3 times and then sifted it 3 more times with the half the granulated sugar, set aside.

#2: Added the cream of tarter + vanilla + almond + salt to the egg whites and whipped on high TRYING TO GET TO STIFF PEAKS…about 6 min. But they never became stiff! [I later read that real egg whites are not processed like egg whites in the container and therefore whip much higher and much quicker…which is why the REAL egg whites in CAKE #1 whipped so quickly] These egg whites got to below soft peaks level.

#3: Then I added the finely BLENDED sugar into the egg whites and continued to whip.

#4: I removed the egg white/sugar bowl from the mixer and FOLDED in the cake flour/sugar mixture by hand. NOT by using the mixer.

#5: Spread the sad looking angel food goop into the metal 2 piece angel food cake pan. [It looked sad and not fluffy at all…I thought for sure it was ruined!]

#6: Baked at 375 for 35 min.

OUTCOME:

It did not rise as much as CAKE #1 when baked and also did not fall in the middle like CAKE #1. Interesting. When tipped upside down for cooling…it also did not fall out of the pan like the CAKE #1 which was baked in the silicone pan. The texture however, was a very similar to the boxed angel food cake; airy and light.

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CAKE #3: the PERFECT CAKE!!!

We used…

• 12 REAL egg whites
• 1 3/4 cup granulated sugar [3/4 cup blended fine]
• 1 1/2 tsp cream of tarter
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons cake flour

METHOD:

#1: Sifted the cake flour 3 times and then sifted it 3 more times after adding in half the granulated sugar + salt, set aside.

#2: Added the cream of tarter + vanilla + almond extract to the egg whites and whipped on medium speed until foamy. Then, slowly added the remaining sugar that was finely blended sugar into the egg whites and continue to whip until SOFT PEAKS are formed!

SOFT PEAKS are when the peaks disappear back into the batter...they melt back into the body of the egg whites. See photo or Google it:) STIFF PEAKS hold their shape and will cause your cake height to fall once cooled and also cause your cake to be more dense. 

#3: Once soft peaks are achieved, remove the mixing bowl from the mixer, SIFT and FOLD in the cake flour/salt/sugar mixture until fully incorporated…being gentle not to stir too vigorously as this will collapse the air pockets.

#4: Spread the batter into the angel food cake pan and bake immediately at 325 for 45-55 min or until tooth pick is inserted and comes out clean.

#5: Once done baking, immediately turn upside down on wire rack or on top of a glass bottle and allow to cool.

It is okay to cool over night uncovered and upside down. Or it can just rest upside down until completely cool.

the PERFECT CAKE CONCLUSION:

1. Use REAL egg whites [not those from the carton]
2. Blend half of the sugar to superfine texture
3. FOLD in the cake flour/sugar by hand [not with the mixer]
4. Bake at either temp and corresponding length of time.

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For this birthday cake….

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—we sliced it in half once it was cool, placed a layer of vanilla ice cream on one half, followed by a layer of sliced strawberries. Then we carefully placed the top back, wrapped it in ceran wrap and placed it in the freezer until ready to eat! Jude specifically requested it to be topped with upside down strawberries and drizzled with chocolate sauce. Yes sir!

Although this Homemade Angel Food Cake took us HOURS to make due to our trial and error….as compared to using the almost instant Duncan Hines Angel Food Cake Mix, it was a great experiment. And I always feel better when using real ingredients rather than using a box mix. So, I think it was a success and I will be making this homemade angel food cake recipe from NOW on!

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