Angel Food Cake In A Loaf Pan is a delicate and fluffy white cake made from whipped egg whites and without cream of tartar. Serve it with fresh strawberries, blueberries, and whipped cream.
Angel food cake is one of my favorite cakes, but I never make it because traditional angel food cake is baked in a tube pan. It’s such a one-use specialty pan I couldn’t justify keeping one in my kitchen.
I did discover how to make Small Batch Angel Food Cupcakes since I do own a cupcake pan.
However, with all of the small batch baking I do, I usually have a lot of leftover egg whites. Pretty soon I found myself with half a dozen egg whites in my fridge.
I didn’t want to make 5-6 recipes with them; I wanted to use them all at once.
Originally I was going to make small batch angel food cake in ramekins, but something prompted me to do some more loaf pan baking.
And here we are with Angel Food Cake In A Loaf Pan served with fresh strawberries, blueberries, and homemade whipped cream.
You can also serve it with homemade chocolate whipped cream for a small taste of chocolate.
Making angel food cake involves a little bit of technique, but as long as you follow these tips, success (and cake) will be in your future.
Use an ungreased 9×5 loaf pan.
Instead of a tube pan, I used a standard 9×5 loaf pan. Contrary to what you’ve been taught, do not grease the pan and do not line it with parchment paper.
In order for angel food cake to bake properly, you need it to stick to the pan. This ensures the cake rises and won’t fall out of the pan when cooling upside-down.
Separate egg whites when they’re cold but whip them when they’re room temperature.
Eggs are easiest to separate when they are cold because the yolks are firmer and less likely to break.
However, egg whites are best whipped at room temperature to maximize their volume potential.
So how do you separate an egg? Good news is you don’t need a fancy tool for separating. I used to own one, but the yolk kept breaking.
Here’s the method I use. First, crack the egg. Let the yolk settle in one half of the shell then carefully transfer the yolk back and forth to the other half of the shell. Eventually the egg white will fall while the yolk stays in the shell.
If your halves aren’t usable after cracking, you can use your hands and let the egg white fall through your fingers.
It’s important to separate your egg over a different bowl than the one holding your egg whites. If you accidentally get any trace of yolk in your whites, they won’t whip properly. It’s better to ruin one egg white than to ruin the entire bowl.
After separating your eggs, let the whites come to room temperature before proceeding with the recipe. Mine sit on the counter for an hour.
Add acid to stabilize your egg whites (and how to substitute for cream of tartar)
Most angel food cake recipes call for cream of tartar, which in simplest terms is powdered acid.
Acid helps stabilize the egg whites while beating into peaks because the batter is quite delicate.
However, my cream of tartar was at least 5 years old, so I tossed it. And since it’s an ingredient I use maybe 1-2 times a year, I’d rather figure out a substitute I do keep on hand than waste money.
It really comes down to using some form of acid rather than focusing on a specific one, so I used white distilled vinegar. You can also use fresh lemon juice.
Some recipes say you can leave out the cream of tartar altogether. I don’t recommend this for angel food cake because the cake relies almost solely on egg whites. There is neither fat nor a leavening agent.
Gently fold in your flour (don’t stir).
Now that you whipped up some beautifully fluffy egg whites, you need to add flour without deflating them.
The trick to adding flour is to fold them into the batter with a gentle hand. If you were to stir it in, you’d lose all that wonderful air you beat into the eggs.
To fold in the flour mixture, add about 1/4th of it to the egg whites. Use a rubber spatula to cut the batter vertically towards you then fold part of the wet mixture over the flour.
Add another part of flour then repeat. Keep doing this until all of the flour is added and is no longer dry. Any dry spots left will create air pockets or leave a weird streak in your cake.
Cool your angel food cake loaf upside down before removing.
It’s important to invert your angel food cake loaf while cooling to help keep its volume. If you cooled it right-side up, gravity would cause the cake to deflate.
Traditional tube pans are designed to sit upside down while loaf pans are not.
However, you can easily achieve a similar set up by resting each end of the pan (where the handles are) on top of two jars or canned items (or anything really as long as the cake is slightly elevated and upside down).
Cool your angel food cake for 1 hour before removing from the pan.
How to release your angel food cake without crying
Since you’re relying on the cake to stick to the pan, you can’t simply turn it upside down and have it released. Otherwise, it would fall out while it was cooling.
To remove angel food cake from a loaf pan, run a butter knife around the edges of the cake a few times.
Next, lay the pan on one side with the cake facing you. Run your knife around the edges again and gently pull until the cake slides out.
If the bottom of the cake is sticking, you may want to use an offset spatula to slide under the cake while pulling.
Take your time and don’t panic. I promise the cake will slide out.
How To Cut Angel Food Cake
Angel food cake can be sticky when slicing. The best way to cut angel food cake is to run a serrated knife under hot water between each slice.
Use a gentle sawing motion rather than pushing it down. This prevents the cake from being squished.
How long will my angel food cake last?
Angel food cake is best eaten within 2 days. After this time, the eggs will start to weep and the top will become sticky and wet.
How To Refrigerate Angel Food Cake
If you want angel food cake to last longer, you can refrigerate it for up to 1 week. Wrap the whole loaf or individual slices in plastic wrap then store in an airtight container.
How To Freeze Angel Food Cake
If you want the angel food cake to last even longer, you can freeze it for up to 4-6 months. Wrap the loaf or each slice in plastic wrap then place the cake in a freezer-proof plastic bag.
You may want to place the plastic bag in a container to help prevent the cake from being squished from other items in the freezer.
To serve, thaw the cake until room temperature. If the cake dries out a little, serve with some sauce or whipped cream.
What To Do With Leftover Egg Yolks
Now you have 6 yolks, what do you do with them? Good news for you – I have a list of recipes using leftover egg yolks.
I don’t have any that use all 6 at once, but my German Chocolate Cake Ice Cream uses 3 egg yolks.
Angel Food Cake In A Loaf Pan
Angel Food Cake In A Loaf Pan is a delicate and fluffy white cake made from whipped egg whites and without cream of tartar. Serve it with fresh strawberries, blueberries, and whipped cream.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 6 egg whites, room temperature (clean with no trace of yolk and NOT egg whites in a carton - must be from actual eggs)*
- 1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar or lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Homemade Whipped Cream, for serving (get recipe here)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F. Have an ungreased 9x5 loaf pan ready. Do not line with parchment paper. You need the cake to stick to the pan.
- Sift together 1/4 cup sugar, flour, and cornstarch.
- In a clean bowl (with no trace of fat) of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment (or with a hand mixer), beat on medium speed the egg whites, vinegar, vanilla, and salt until foamy, about 30 seconds.
- Increase the speed to high. Gradually beat in the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, while the mixer runs. Beat until soft peaks form (when you pull the beater up, peaks will form but fall over), about 3-4 minutes. Do not beat into stiff peaks.
- Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the flour ingredient, 1/4 at a time, into the egg whites. You want to incorporate all of the flour without deflating the egg whites, so take your time. Make sure there is no dry flour left.
- Transfer the batter to the loaf pan and evenly spread. Bake 35-40 minutes or until brown and no longer sticky on top.
- Turn the pan upside down and rest the handles on top of two jars, canned goods, similar set up. Let cool upside down for 1 hour. Do not skip this step. The cake will deflate if cooled right-side up.
- Once ready to serve, carefully run a butter knife around the edges. Lay the pan on its side then carefully pull the cake out with your knife. If you're having trouble, you can use an offset spatula and run it under the bottom of the cake so it doesn't stick anymore.
- Slice the angel food cake by running a serrated knife under hot water between cutting each slice. Use a gentle sawing motion rather than pushing it down. Serve with fresh strawberries, blueberries, and whipped cream.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 4-6 months**.
Notes
*Eggs are easiest to separate when they are cold because the yolks are firmer and less likely to break. However, egg whites are best whipped at room temperature to maximize their volume potential. If there is any yolk in the egg white, you need to start over.
**To refrigerate or freeze, wrap the loaf or slices in plastic wrap then place in an airtight container or a freezer-safe plastic bag. Thaw to room temperature before serving.
Don't know what to do with the extra egg yolks? Check out my recipes using leftover egg yolks.
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Brandi says
Used your upside down cooling hack and it helped. What a great advice!
Carla says
Glad it worked out for you!
Karly says
Your tips were absolutely essential, and wow did they result in an amazing angel food loaf! I’ve never had one turn out so successfully, so this will definitely be my go-to from now on!
Carla says
Awesome! Thank you for sharing your positive experience.
Barbara Coleman-Fisher says
Use all 6 egg yolks at one time by making Creme Brulee.
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/19165/creme-brulee/
Carla says
Oh great idea! Thank you for sharing.
Karen says
Love the idea of this recipe and your explanations were not only helpful, but a learning experience! That said, mine pulled away from the sides and came out a bit sticky on the sides too – almost like it was under baked? It was beginning to brown on top so I pulled it out. – should I have baked it longer?
Carla says
How long did you bake it when you took it out? Also are you using an oven thermometer to determine an accurate oven reading? Was the cake itself fine when you served it? Or was the middle underbaked as well? The sides will stick slightly and leave a really thin layer when you remove it (almost like residue but with cake), but it shouldn’t rip the whole cake or anything.
Karen says
I baked it for about 35-40 min. I let it sit out and it was still a little sticky but tasted amazing and was done perfectly! I will be using this recipe again and again!!
Carla says
Angel food cake can be slightly sticky by nature due to the weather, usually if it’s too humid outside. I know it’s been really humid in Pittsburgh! As long as it wasn’t super wet and underbaked batter, it sounds like you did just fine and didn’t do anything wrong.
Rachel says
Did you use a nonstick pan?
Carla says
Yes, I did.
Mary Anstine says
Can you use a boxed cake mix instead? Any difference in baking time or temp?
Carla says
I don’t use box mixes (hence my blog name), so unfortunately I can’t help you. Your cake mix should have time and temperature listed.
Ashley Magoffin says
My husband and I tried this recipe. It turned out well. Thank you. We don’t have a angel cake pan or the tarter so this article was perfect.
Carla says
Wonderful! Happy to hear this recipe fit your needs.
Robyn says
What’s the best way to store the cake? Should I wrap it? Should it be refrigerated or left out at room temp?
Carla says
Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days. I wouldn’t directly wrap it since it’ll stick to the cake. You can leave it out at room temperature.
Sue says
I don’t have a loaf pan. Can I use a glass loaf dish?
Carla says
I haven’t tried baking it in glass. Make sure the pan measures 9×5 if you make it.
Kate Marcotte says
Hello, I will try this recipe tomorrow. Can I use an angel food cake pan with this recipe or do I have to use a loaf pan? Are any of the measurements changed if I use the angel food cake pan versus the loaf pan? Thanks so much for this recipe! I don’t have cream of tartar or cake flour so this one is perfect!
Carla says
It has not been tested in a tube pan, mostly because I don’t have one. I can tell you the loaf pan batter is less than your traditional tube pan recipe, so it won’t fill up the whole pan. I feel like you would still get a decent sized cake out of it, but that’s just my best guess. Please let me know how it goes if you try it! If you’d like to use a different recipe that fits your pan, you can substitute 1 teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar for every 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar. For cake flour, you can substitute 3/4 cup all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons cornstarch sifted together for 1 cup cake flour.
memory says
I tried it for my mother’s birthday (and I am not a cook!) and it came out really really well! Soft and fluffy, and really enjoyable with some fruit salad!
Carla says
Oh I’m glad this worked out for you! Love the idea of serving it with fruit salad.
Marilyn says
I have only glass pans. And mine are the larger loaf pans, next size up. I am thinking about adjusting the measurements up a little and lining the pan with aluminum foil to give it some more “cling” to it. Do you think that would work?
Carla says
I’ve only tested the recipe as written, so I’m not sure. Let me know how it goes for you!
CAthy says
I’m allergic to corn. Do you think this recipe would work with arrowroot starch?
Carla says
This recipe has only been tested with cornstarch. I’d recommend looking up how to substitute arrowroot for corn starch.
Cathy Munoz says
ii worked!!!
Leah Sayre says
I made 1.5 X the recipe and used 2 smaller loaf pans. It was fabulous! We will be using this as our go to all summer for strawberries and whip cream!
Carla says
Glad that worked out for you! Thanks for sharing.
Cheryl says
#1: Did this recipe originally call for cake flour? (as All-Purpose Flour is the ingredient listed in this recipe now). I noticed in a Comment someone refers to Cake Flour and in a Comment reply / answer you also refer to Cake Flour. #2: You replied to another Comment that asked if you use a Non-Stick loaf pan. You replied that you do. Just want to make sure (as I’ve read in other Angel Food Cake recipes to not use a Non-Stick pan (for instance if someone had an idea to make in a Bundt pan instead of a Tube pan).
I want to try your recipe but just want to make sure I follow your recipe to a T before I do.
Carla says
This recipe has always been published using all purpose flour. For that cake flour comment, I was helping her convert it because she wanted to use a different pan which meant not using my recipe. Most recipes in a traditional pan call for cake flour, which I find most bakers don’t have.
As for nonstick, yes that’s the type of pan I used (you can see it in my photo of it cooling upside down). I’ve tested my recipe multiple times in that pan. It’ll still stick to the sides when cooling upside down.
Charlene V. says
Looking forward to trying this today! My favorite use for leftover egg yolks is making lemon curd, because it is so delicious with angel food cake!
Carla says
Sounds like the perfect use!
Alice says
Loved the cake.
Make a key lime pie with egg yolks.
Mix 5 egg yolks, one can sweetened condensed milk and 1/2 cup lime juice.
Pour into graham cracker crust and bake 10 minutes at 325.
Refrigerate
Carla says
Thanks for sharing!
Melanie says
I just have to say THANK YOU! This recipe is amazing. I teach culinary arts at a high school and use your recipe every semester. The students LOVE it! So easy to make a small amount rather than a massive cake.
Carla says
Happy to hear that! I remember making angel food cake in high school but definitely not like this lol Definitely a great recipe to teach out egg whites without the extra cake or extra tube pans.
Sam says
Hello,
Thank you for the recipe !
It comes in handy as I don’t have an angel cake pan nor tart cream.
The problem is I don’t have a loaf pan either. Is it possible to use it in a a circular sponge cake pan ?
Thank you
Carla says
I’ve only tested this recipe in a loaf pan. You’d have to figure out how many cups of batter your pan holds then compare it to a 9×5 loaf pan, making sure there’s enough room for the cake to rise. Here’s a handy guide https://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html
Lanie says
I don’t have a nonstick loaf pan, can I still make this recipe? I do have a nonstick Bundt pan, though. Would that work?
Carla says
I haven’t tested it with a Bundt pan, so I’m not sure. If you try it, let me know if it works!
Sydney says
Followed the steps exactly, and the egg whites would not whip. I opted for the lemon juice over the vinegar. Everything else wad followed exactly, but it didn’t work. I made a different angel food cake recipe a few weeks ago and it worked, but I couldn’t find the recipe again. Was trying to use up egg whites from when I made crème brûlée. Unfortunately I’ve gotta dump it.
Carla says
Hmm how did you prep your egg whites? Are they from grocery store eggs? Farm fresh eggs? Boxed egg whites? Were they fresh or old? Also if you had any trace of fat, either from the yolk or a plastic bowl or something, then they won’t whip. I have lots of great reviews plus made this recipe multiple times, so my guess is your egg whites weren’t clean from fat or maybe too cold. They should also be a few days old at least (if you bought them directly from a farm, they might be a little too fresh).
Mia Foo says
can i line the bottom of the pan instead? i reckon the cake can still creep up the unlined sides while baking, and they should also stick on at the sides while i invert to cool?
Carla says
I haven’t personally tried it myself. I’m wondering if the sides will be enough support to hold the weight while upside down. If you do try it, let me know how it turned out.