Light Angel Food Cake Topped with Berries
An easy, classic summer dessert, this angel food cake is split into two layers and topped with...
- Prep
- 25 mins
- Cook
- 45 mins
- Total
- 1 hr 10 mins
- Makes
- 12 servings
This Homemade Angel Food Cake is a classic summer dessert that is easy to make. It is split into two layers and topped with Cool Whip and fresh berries! The texture is light and fluffy, and the flavor is wonderful.
Recipe Overview
To make this angel food cake with berries, you will need either a hand mixer or a stand mixer. You will also need mixing bowls, an offset spatula, and a 10-inch tube pan.
Whipping the egg whites to the right stiff peak stage is really the only tricky part of this recipe. If you keep your mixing bowl and whisk very clean (see the tips below) and keep yolks out of your egg whites, you will be fine. Use a spatula to fold in the whisked dry ingredients.
The only other small step is cooling the cake upside down. It sounds odd, but it works, and the cake will not fall out of the pan, I promise.
Gather Your Ingredients
To make this homemade angel food cake, you will need:
- Granulated Sugar
- Cake Flour. Do not substitute all-purpose flour in this recipe.
- Salt
- Large Egg Whites. This comes to about 11 large eggs.
- Cream of Tartar. It helps the egg whites hold their stiff peaks.
- Vanilla Extract
- Almond Extract. I really love the flavor it adds to the cake!
- Cool Whip. Make sure it is thawed so it spreads easily over the cake.
- Berries. Use raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, or any mix of berries you like!
Helpful Angel Food Cake Baking Tips
- Do not grease your tube pan!
- Before you beat the egg whites, the mixing bowl and whisk must be super clean. Any leftover grease or residue can throw off this step completely!
- For extra cleaning, wipe the mixing bowl and whisk with a paper towel soaked in distilled white vinegar.
- To check whether your angel food cake is done, gently press your finger or the back of a spoon into the top. If it springs back right away, it is done.
- Let your angel food cake cool upside down until it reaches room temperature.
- If your tube pan has no legs, set it upside down on 2 cans of equal height to cool.
- Cut the angel food cake into 2 layers with a serrated knife. This makes cutting much easier!
- Adding the Cool Whip and berries is optional. If you add them, cool the cake completely first.
Recommended Baking Tools
Recipe FAQs
Should you grease your tube pan for angel food cake?No. Do not grease your tube pan when making angel food cake. Greasing it keeps the cake from clinging to the sides and rising as it bakes.
How will I know when my angel food cake is ready to come out of the oven?To check whether the cake is done, gently press your finger into the top. If it springs back, take it out of the oven. Remember to cool it upside down on its legs or on 2 cans of equal height.
Why do you cool an angel food cake upside down?Cooling angel food cake upside down (inverted) helps it keep its volume.
What do I do if my tube pan doesn’t have feet?If your tube pan does not have feet (such as my Wilton tube pan), you can rest it on two cans of the same height.
More Cake Recipes to Try
Light Angel Food Cake Topped with Berries
This homemade angel food cake is an easy, classic summer dessert split into 2 layers and topped with Cool Whip and fresh berries! It is light, fluffy, and wonderfully delicious.
- Prep
- 25 mins
- Cook
- 45 mins
- Total
- 1 hr 10 mins
- Makes
- 12 servings
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups Cake Flour
- 1 3/4 cups Granulated Sugar
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1 1/2 cups Large Egg Whites (from 11 eggs)
- 1 tsp Cream of Tartar
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 tsp Almond Extract
- 8 oz Cool Whip, thawed, optional
- Raspberries, optional
- Strawberries, optional
- Blueberries, optional
Method
- Set the oven rack to the 2nd level position (just above center) and preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Whisk together the cake flour, granulated sugar, and salt. Set it aside.
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until very frothy and they form soft peaks (see notes).
- Add the cream of tartar, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Keep beating until stiff peaks form.
- Using a spatula, gently fold the whisked dry ingredients into the beaten egg whites. Do not use the mixer for this step.
- Pour the batter into an ungreased 10 inch tube pan, then bake for 45 minutes at 350ºF, or until the top is a nice golden brown (see notes).
- When the cake is done, cool it upside down on the legs of your tube pan (if it has them) or on top of two equally sized cans.
- Once it has cooled completely, run a knife gently along the edges before removing it from the pan.
- Use a serrated knife to slice the cake in half lengthwise into 2 layers. You can also skip cutting it altogether!
- Spread a layer of Cool Whip, then a layer of berries. Set the next layer on top and repeat.
- Serve and enjoy!
Baker’s notes
- The baking times listed do not include cooling time.
- Do not grease your tube pan!
- Before you beat the egg whites, make sure your mixing bowl and whisk are super clean. Any leftover grease or residue can throw off this step completely!
- For extra cleaning, wipe the mixing bowl and whisk with a paper towel soaked in distilled white vinegar.
- To check whether your angel food cake is done, gently press your finger or the back of a spoon into the top. If it springs back right away, it is done.
- Let your angel food cake cool upside down until it reaches room temperature.
- If your tube pan has no legs, set it upside down on 2 cans of equal height to cool.
- Cut the angel food cake into 2 layers with a serrated knife. This makes cutting much easier!
- Adding the Cool Whip and berries is optional. If you add them, cool the cake completely first.
- Adapted from the 1987 St. Stephen's Family Recipe Cookbook and inspired by a Hoosier Homemade post on angel food cake with berries.
