America's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated LogoAmerica's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated Logo
Classes
Recipe
5 hr 5 min

Angel Food Cake

(43)
60 Comments
Loading...
Angel Food Cake
Author: America's Test Kitchen

Recipe By America's Test Kitchen

Published on October 15, 2024

Over seven weeks in the kitchen, we baked more than 100 angel food cakes to discover, once and for all, what matters, what doesn't, and how to achieve perfection.

Time

5 hr 5 min

Yield

Serves 10 to 12

Why This Recipe Works

The key to Angel Food Cake is voluminous, stable egg whites. A mere speck of yolk precludes them from whipping to peaks. We had the best success with either cold or room-temperature egg whites. Cold whites whipped to the same volume as room-temperature eggs (they just took a few minutes longer). Cream of tartar offered some insurance against deflated whites. Its acidity helped stabilize the egg whites.

Ingredients

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (4½ ounces/128 grams) cake flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ¾ cups (12¼ ounces/347 grams) granulated sugar
12 large egg whites
1½ teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Cook along with these step-by-step instructions

step 1 imagestep 2 imagestep 3 imagestep 4 image
  1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 325 degrees. Whisk flour and salt in bowl. Process sugar in food processor until fine and powdery, about 1 minute. Reserve half of sugar in small bowl. Add flour mixture to food processor with remaining sugar and process until aerated, about 1 minute.
  2. With electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until frothy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-high. With motor running, slowly add reserved sugar and beat until soft peaks form, about 6 minutes. Add vanilla and mix until incorporated.
  3. Sift flour mixture over egg whites in 3 additions, folding gently with rubber spatula after each addition until incorporated. Scrape mixture into 12-cup ungreased tube pan.
  4. Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean and cracks in cake appear dry, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool, inverted, to room temperature, about 3 hours. To unmold, run knife along interior of pan. Turn out onto platter. Serve.

Ask ATK

Have a Question?

We’d love to hear from you! Drop us a message anytime and we’ll get back to you. We’re here to help!

Recipe FAQs

My Rating

Angel Food Cake

Recipe By America's Test Kitchen

Published on October 15, 2024

Time

5 hr 5 min

Yield

Serves 10 to 12

Angel Food Cake

Ingredients

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (4½ ounces/128 grams) cake flour¼ teaspoon salt1 ¾ cups (12¼ ounces/347 grams) granulated sugar12 large egg whites1½ teaspoons cream of tartar1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 325 degrees. Whisk flour and salt in bowl. Process sugar in food processor until fine and powdery, about 1 minute. Reserve half of sugar in small bowl. Add flour mixture to food processor with remaining sugar and process until aerated, about 1 minute.
  2. With electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until frothy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-high. With motor running, slowly add reserved sugar and beat until soft peaks form, about 6 minutes. Add vanilla and mix until incorporated.
  3. Sift flour mixture over egg whites in 3 additions, folding gently with rubber spatula after each addition until incorporated. Scrape mixture into 12-cup ungreased tube pan.
  4. Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean and cracks in cake appear dry, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool, inverted, to room temperature, about 3 hours. To unmold, run knife along interior of pan. Turn out onto platter. Serve.
This is a members' feature.