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Overhead angle shot of Angel Food Cake

Vanilla Bean Angel Food Cake

The best recipe for angel food cake.Perfect every time.

Course Baking, Cake, Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword Angel Food cake
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 12

Ingredients

  • 1-1/2 cups 11 to 12 large egg whites
  • 1-1/2 cups, 175 grams sifted powdered sugar
  • 1 cup, 100 grams sifted cake flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
  • 1 cup, 200 grams white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or seeds from one vanilla bean
  • ¼ teaspoon almond extract optional

Instructions

  1. About 1 hour before baking the batter, place fresh, cold egg whites in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer. You want to bring the egg whites to slightly below room temperature.
  2. Using a fine mesh strainer or a sifter, sift the confectioners' sugar, cake flour, and salt onto a piece of wax paper or into a large bowl. Set aside.
  3. Have a 10-inch angel food cake pan with a removable bottom ready.
  4. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350°
  5. In the very clean bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on low speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and increase the speed to medium-medium high.

  6. Beat until soft peaks form.

  7. Continue whipping and gradually add the granulated sugar, until the whites thicken and form soft but stiff peaks. Be careful here to not overbeat until they get to be too dry. The egg whites should still slightly droop when the whisk attachment is lifted...

  8. Add the vanilla, vanilla bean paste or scraped vanilla bean seeds. Whisk just until combined. Take the bowl from the mixer, as you will be adding the flour by hand.
  9. Sprinkle one-quarter of the flour mixture over the whites, and with a large rubber spatula, gently fold into the whites. Repeat this process with the remaining flour mixture, folding in only one-quarter at a time.
  10. Gently spread the batter evenly into an ungreased 10-inch angel food cake tube pan with removable bottom.
  11. From about 2 inches above the counter gently drop the pan to get any large air pockets.
  12. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until the top is golden and springs back when gently pressed with your fingers, and a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
  13. Invert the cake pan onto the neck of a bottle or funnel. (If the cake tilts a little, that's ok.) Cool completely in the pan, 2 to 3 hours.
  14. To remove the cake from the pan, slip a flexible metal spatula carefully down the side of the pan. Slowly trace around the perimeter to release the cake.
  15. When the sides are free, push up on the removable bottom to remove the cake from the sides. Tilt the cake and gently tap the bottom of the pan against the counter to loosen the cake, rotating as you do so until the cake appears free. You may need to use the spatula. Cover the cake with a rack or a plate, and at the same time that you invert the cake onto the work surface, tap it firmly on the surface. Lift the pan from the cake.
  16. To serve, slice with a serrated knife using a sawing action. Serve with some whipped cream and some berries if desired.