Perfect Angel Food Cake Ratio
1 : 1 : 1
Egg Whites : Sugar : Flour (by weight)
300g + 300g + 100g
10 egg whites = 10" tube pan = fat-free heaven
Classic Angel Food Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- Egg whites (room temp) 300g (10 large eggs)
- Granulated sugar 300g (1½ cups)
- Cake flour (sifted) 100g (¾ cup + 2 tbsp)
- Cream of tartar 1 tsp
- Vanilla extract 1½ tsp
- Almond extract (optional) ½ tsp
- Salt ¼ tsp
Instructions
- 1. Preheat 325°F. Do NOT grease tube pan (must climb sides!).
- 2. Sift flour + 150g sugar together 3 times. Set aside.
- 3. Beat whites + cream of tartar + salt to soft peaks.
- 4. Gradually add remaining 150g sugar, beat to stiff glossy peaks.
- 5. Fold in vanilla + almond extract.
- 6. Sift flour mixture over whites in 4 additions, fold gently.
- 7. Pour into ungreased tube pan. Bake 45-50 min until golden.
- 8. Invert pan immediately. Cool upside down 1-2 hours.
☁️ Must Cool Upside Down!
Angel food cake is so light it will collapse if cooled right-side up. Invert pan immediately (use "feet" or bottle neck). Gravity keeps it stretched tall!
Angel Food vs Sponge vs Chiffon
| Type | Eggs | Fat | Texture |
|---|---|---|---|
| Angel Food | Whites only | NONE (0% fat) | Very light, chewy, white |
| Sponge Cake | Whole eggs | NONE (0% fat) | Light, dry, yellow |
| Chiffon Cake | Separated eggs | Oil added (moist) | Light but tender, rich |
| Genoise | Whole eggs | Melted butter added | Dense, buttery, European |
Why Angel Food Cake is Unique
100% Fat-Free
No butter, no oil, no egg yolks. Pure egg white foam gives structure.
- ✓ Only ~70 calories per slice
- ✓ Cholesterol-free
- ✓ Perfect with fresh fruit
Ungreased Pan
Batter must cling to sides to rise. Grease = collapse!
- ✓ Use uncoated aluminum tube pan
- ✓ Not nonstick (can't climb)
- ✓ Cool upside down
Cake Flour Essential
Lower protein = tender crumb. All-purpose too tough.
- ✓ Cake flour has 7-8% protein
- ✓ Sift 3 times for air
- ✓ Fold gently (don't deflate)
Troubleshooting
Common Problems:
- Collapsed after cooling: Didn't cool upside down
- Dense, heavy texture: Overmixed, deflated egg whites
- Large tunnels/holes: Didn't tap pan to remove air bubbles
- Won't rise: Pan was greased (can't climb sides)
- Falls out of pan: Cooled right-side up (gravity pulls down)
- Tough texture: Used all-purpose flour instead of cake flour
Pro Tips:
- • Room temp egg whites beat to higher volume
- • No yolk at all! Even a drop prevents peaks
- • Beat to stiff peaks but not dry/grainy
- • Fold flour in 4 additions (less deflating)
- • Tap pan 2-3 times to remove big air bubbles
- • Run knife around edges to release before inverting