Traditional 12 Egg White Angel Food Cake recipe is light, moist, fluffy, and a lot easier than you think to make!
A couple of months ago I had a reader ask for a 12 Yolk Pound Cake in which you, in turn, use the egg whites in an Angel food cake. I found a similar recipe in an old recipe book for 12 Yolk Pound Cake. I then created this cake recipe.
If you’re looking for a healthy-ish dessert, Traditional 12 Egg White Angel Food Cake is a good choice. Angel food cake is lower in fat and calories than most cakes. Angel food cake doesn’t contain egg yolks or butter and, therefore, contains no fat. However, angel food cake is still high in added sugar if you’re watching sugar consumption.
On average, angel food cakes contain 128 calories per serving. For comparison, the same serving of chocolate cake prepared from a mix contains about 352 calories.
Traditional 12 Egg White Angel Food Cake Tips
- When you whip the egg whites, start on a low speed. This breaks up the proteins in the eggs and starts to create the foam. Once the mixture appears foamy, raise the speed to medium and begin to add the mixture of sugar, cream of tartar, and salt gradually. Pour the sugar mixture gently in a slow stream.
- The meringue should be strong but not overly stiff.
- Adding the flour must be done quickly and carefully!
- Smooth the surface of the cake carefully with an offset spatula. Angel food batter won’t “even itself out” in the oven.
If you’ve never tried an Angel Food Cake Slicer this little gadget keeps from squishing the cake when you cut it!
Traditional 12 Egg White Angel Food Cake
Ingredients
- 12 egg whites at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 and 3/4 cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour sifted then measured
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Beat egg whites until foamy.
- Gradually add cream of tartar and continue to beat until soft peaks form.
- Gradually beat in 1 cup sugar very slowly until mixture holds stiff peaks.
- Fold in vanilla extract.
- Combine flour, cornstarch, 3/4 cup sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Slowly fold into egg whites.
- Add batter to 10-inch tube pan and level the top with a spatula.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes or until the top springs back when touched with your finger or a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean.
- *Very important - Invert pan over a bottle and let stand until cake is completely cool. when cool, loosen sides and center with a metal spatula and turn ou onto a platter.
Nutrition
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Kitty says
I noticed in this recipe you are not sifting flour, or if you are it does not state this.. with typical angel foods you also use powdered sugar sifted with flour. Am I following this one right? I hope so as this would be so much easier.. I am going to go ahead and try yours out. I will also do the 12 yolk..
Paula says
Yes, sift the flour before measuring.
Taya says
Wow. Haven’t even had a chance to try this but am pissed off right now. Thank you very much for the “very important” note to invert over a bottle. I spent almost two hours preparing and baking this, only to invert it over a bottle and have the cake fall out of the pan and break in half and turn in to a disaster. I was hoping to make this for my Mom’s 85th birthday in two days. I guess I will try some other cake recipe. It won’t be one of yours though. In hindsight, it didn’t make sense to me when I read it and thought better of doing that. I wanted to invert it on top of a cooling rack but you said “VERY IMPORTANT” to invert over a bottle. Why?????
Paula says
Angel food cake has much less flour than a regular cake. Its rise is created by the egg whites and until it cools, its structure is not set. Allowing it to cool upside down ensures it doesn’t collapse. Many angel food cake pans come with feet around the edges for this very purpose. However, inverting the center ring onto the neck of a bottle will also work.
Refer also to the articles below.
https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/angel-food-cake-mistakes/
https://www.bettycrocker.com/how-to/tipslibrary/baking-tips/how-to-make-angel-food-cake
Janet E. says
Why use cornstarch and thought when making an Angel Food Cake, you weren’t supposed to grease or spray pan.
Kelly Mahan says
This cake looks like it’s really fluffly and soft, is that right? I love it when the textures gets that way! Looking forward to try it =)
Paula says
Yes, it was. I had to be careful slicing it not to squish it.
Linda says
This is beautiful. Your tips are a good idea. Thanks for sharing.
Wishes for tasty dishes,
Linda
Ed Kelly says
Hi Paula, looks like your recipe is missing some ingredients??
cakespy says
It’s gorgeous. Like a cloud cake! Thanks for sharing this beautiful technique and cake.