Celebrating the ‘Unique’ Angel Food Cake

Angle food cake on a plate.

Angel Food Cake has a national celebration day in October. Despite a marked day of celebration, this light and fluffy unique foam cake is good anytime of the year; it is often used as a “go-to” spring or summer dessert served with fresh berries or fruit. And, it is a great option for those who seek a “lighter” dessert.

Angel Food Cake may have had its origins with the Pennsylvania Dutch. The first recipe for the cake appeared in The Home Book of Tested Recipes in 1878.  In 1880 the New York Times published a recipe for angel food cake and the 1884 Boston Cooking School Cook Book also included an angel food cake recipe.  In a Martha Stewart article, the author writes “some food historians trace the widespread popularity of angel food cake to the advent of the rotary eggbeater in the mid- to late 19th century. What was once an arduous task became much more homemaker-friendly, and recipes began to appear in earnest.”

Regardless of how it originated, angel food cake is a unique cake in several ways–ingredients, pan, and cooling. Angel Food is a foam cake made entirely of stiffly beaten egg whites, flour, sugar, and usually cream of tartar; unlike other cakes, no leavening or fat.  Steam and air incorporated into the eggs whites by beating are the main sources of leavening.  Flour adds structure and sugar brings sweetness.  Cream of tartar, an acid, helps to stabilize the egg whites.  (Lemon juice was once used to keep the beaten egg whites stiff, but today cream of tartar is the stabilizer of choice.) A special ungreased pan, known as a tube pan, is used for baking as the central tube and high sides of the pan support the delicate foam as it expands during baking; the hollow tube also allows for even heat distribution. Angel food cakes are cooled upside down. The elevation provides sufficient air flow to insure proper cooling which is needed to maintain the stability of its lofty structure.

Traditionally an angel food cake is made from stiffly beaten egg whites followed by carefully folding the dry ingredients into the delicate foamy egg whites.  Many recipes require a dozen egg whites or more. (The Pioneer Woman site offers a typical angel food recipe with tips and pictures.) Other options in today’s world include 1-step and 2-step box mixes.  A 1-step mix combines dehydrated egg whites, sugar, flour, flavorings, surfactants, stabilizers, and leavening agents in one package; water is added to the mix and beaten for a given amount of time.  Most major brands no longer offer the 2-step mix but some store-brand labels still offer this option.  The 2-step option is similar to traditional in that there are two packages in the mix—dehydrated egg whites and dry ingredients (sugar, flour, flavorings, stabilizers, and leavening agents).  First the dehydrated whites are whipped with water until stiff and then the dry ingredients are carefully folded into the egg white batter.  Purchasing a ready-made cake from the bakery is also an option.

Angel food cake is a low-guilt dessert with no cholesterol or fat.  One slice of cake typically contains 129 calories from 15 grams of sugar and 3.1 grams of protein.  Different recipes, box mixes or commercially prepared cakes may differ on calorie count and nutrition.

Angel food cake is not limited to just the traditional white. Angel food can be many flavors and colors. For spring and summer, perhaps a lemon flavored cake has some appeal. Chocolate or pumpkin might be hits during fall and winter with pumpkin adding additional vitamins and fiber. Regardless of time of year or how the cake is acquired, enjoy this unique cake!

Updated 3-2023 mg

Marlene Geiger

I am a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a BS in Home Economics Education and Extension and from Colorado State University with a MS in Textiles and Clothing. I enjoy spending time with family and friends, gardening, quilting, cooking, sewing, and sharing knowledge and experience with others.

More Posts

3 thoughts on “Celebrating the ‘Unique’ Angel Food Cake

  1. Great post Marlene Geiger!!!
    For our daughter’s wedding, a friend made this lovely, angel food cake from a recipe she’s used for decades. It really is one of the best angel food cakes.

    We also prefer different types of muffins or pizza. I like to make pizza on a pizza stone. I always use pizza peel for getting a crispy crust pizza.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

AnswerLine

Connect with us!

AnswerLine's Facebook page AnswerLine's Pinterest page
Email: answer@iastate.edu
Phone: (Monday-Friday, 9 am-noon; 1-4 pm)
1-800-262-3804 (in Iowa)
1-800-854-1678 (in Minnesota)

Archives

Categories