Angel food cake is one of my favorite desserts. It’s light, springy and has a addictive chewiness at the edges. Plus you can eat an entire cake in a single sitting (I know I can!) and not even feel it. Heavenly. Angel Food…oh, I get it.
But if you think angel food cake requires a bundt pan, I’m here to tell you, there’s another way. Angel Food Cake baked in a loaf pan.
Angel Food cake requires egg whites. I make a lot of ice cream custard that uses plenty of egg yolks. I’ve usually got a lot of leftover egg whites multiplying in my fridge. And my dog can only eat so many of them. In that case, I needed another solution, other than wasting a bunch of egg whites…I really hate wasting food. That said, my small kitchen doesn’t have room for a bundt pan that I’d use only a couple of times a year. My favorite alternative is this Angel Food Cake. In a loaf pan.
This cake is topped with whipping cream shaken up in a jar and fresh strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries from the garden. But you can whip your cream with a mixer.
I used a standard 9 x 5 loaf pan. And here’s a tip: Do NOT grease the pan and DO NOT line it with parchment paper. Angel food cake really needs to stick to the pan for better rise in the oven. Sticking to the pan is important so that the cake stays in the pan when you turn it upside down to cool.
Another tip: Whip your egg whites at room temperature for maximum loft and fluff. Use cream of tartar, lemon juice or distilled vinegar when whipping. Whichever you have on hand.
You must invert angel food cake while it’s cooling so it maintains its loft. Otherwise it will just be a flat, dense loaf. I simply turn the cake over onto a couple of food cans then come back in an hour to take it out of the pan.
Top angel food cake with your favorite fruit and cream or drizzle with chocolate.
Angel Food Loaf Cake
Equipment
- 9 x 5 loaf pan
Ingredients
- ¾ cups sugar divided
- ½ cup cake flour All-purpose is ok
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 6 real egg whites (not from a carton)
- 1 Tbsp cream of tartar, lemon juice OR distilled vinegar
- ¼ tsp salt
- whipping cream
- fresh berries
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 325°
- Whisk together flour, cornstarch and ¼ cup of the sugar. Reserve ½ cup sugar for the next step.
- In a clean bowl of a mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium speed with the cream of tartar (or lemon juice or distilled vinegar if using instead), vanilla, and salt until foamy. About 1 minute.
- Increase the speed to high and gradually add in the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Beat until soft hilly peaks form about 3-4 minutes. Do not beat into stiff peaks.
- Use a rubber spatula to gently fold in the flour ingredients. Add about 1/4 at a time to the egg whites. You want to incorporate all of the flour without deflating the egg whites. Take your time and gently fold. You may have a few small lumps, just make sure there is no dry flour left.
- Gently pour/spoon the batter into the loaf pan and evenly spread. Bake at 325° for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and no longer sticky on top.
- Turn the pan upside down and rest on top of two jars or cans. Cake must cool upside down for at least 1 hour. Angel food cake will deflate if it cools right-side up.
Whipping Cream
- Chill a mixing bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer) in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Pour 1 cup of very cold heavy whipping cream and 1 Tbsp sugar into the chilled bowl.
- Using a mixer with whisk attachment, mix the cream and sugar on high until rich and creamy. Do not over-mix or cream will become a dry clump that scoops rather than dollops.
- To serve, carefully run a butter knife around the edges. Lay the pan on its side and carefully pull the cake out with your knife. You can use an offset spatula and run it under the bottom of the cake to gently pull it from the bottom and sides. TIP: Slice the angel food cake with a serrated knife. Gently "saw" down into the cake rather than pushing it down and smashing the cake.Serve with fresh strawberries, blueberries, and homemade whipped cream.