Angel Food Cake Loaf is a smaller sponge cake baked in a loaf pan, perfect for a summer dessert. Serve with fresh fruit and whipped cream!
A sweet, light Angel Food Cake is a beautiful Cake Recipe for special occasions and holidays. This smaller version is just the right amount of servings for a small gathering or as a weeknight dessert.
Sabrinaβs Angel Food Cake Loaf Recipe
Unlike a traditional Angel Food Cake recipe, no need for a fancy tube pan to get a light and airy sponge like cake. This melt in your mouth cake is perfect on hot summer nights with a side of fresh berries. Making a smaller loaf size also makes it a great holiday gift!
Recipe Card
IngredientsΒ
- 1/2 cups cake flour
- 3/4 cups white sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 7 large egg whites
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.
- Make sure your pan, stand mixer, sifter and whisks is dry and clean and without grease or the loaf won't rise.
- Sift the flour, sugar and salt together in a large bowl.
- Add the egg whites to your stand mixer and on high speed beat the egg whites to stiff peaks.
- Add in the cream of tartar, vanilla and almond extracts and beat until they're just combined.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the egg whites with a spatula then pour the batter into your loaf pan.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes.
- Flip your cake pan over and rest the edges over two same sized cans or invert on a wire cooling rack and cool completely before removing from loaf pan.
Nutrition
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Table of contents
About this Recipe
Angel Food Cake Loaf is a fairly simple cake as far as ingredients, it is more about following a few basic steps to get a light and airy sponge. Mastering the technique of whipping egg whites, using an un-greased pan, and inverting your cake are all key to a perfect cake.
- You want to whip your egg whites to stiff peaks for this recipe. Stiff peaks means when you pull the beaters straight up out of the egg whites, the peaks donβt fall back over. The easiest way to get them is to use a stand mixer set on medium-high.
- Donβt use a nonstick pan or grease your pan. Part of the baking process is the cake batter rising up the sides of the pan and if you grease the loaf pan, the batter will not rise. You can line the bottom of the pan with a strip of parchment, just donβt cover the whole pan.
- The final key to a perfect Angel Food Cake Loaf is to invert the cake after it bakes. You can flip your cake pan over and rest the edges over two same sized cans or invert on a wire cooling rack. The important part is to let air circulate under the cake while itβs cooling so the cake doesnβt fall.
How to Make
Time needed:Β 50 minutes
- Combine cake batter
Sift the flour, sugar, and salt into a mixing bowl. Then add the egg whites to your stand mixer and mix until stiff peaks form. Add the cream of tartar, vanilla, and almond extract. Mix until combined, then fold in the dry ingredients.
- Baking time
Pour the cake batter into your loaf pan and bake in a 325 degree oven for 35-40 minutes.
- Finish
Invert the cake over a wire cooling rack and let the loaf cake cool completely before serving.
Nutritional Facts
Baking Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Make sure all your equipment (pan, mixing bowls, beaters) are clean and dry. Egg whites wonβt whip properly if there is moisture and food bits in the bowl or on the beaters.
- Itβs easier to separate your egg whites from egg yolks when the eggs are cold, but egg whites whip better when room temperature. Separate egg whites when cold then allow to come to room temperature.
- βFold Inβ means gently combine an ingredient, not stir it in. Use a large spatula and slowly fold in the flour mixture until just combined so you donβt overmix the batter.
- Cool completely before removing from pan. We used a loaf pan that is easy to remove a cake from because of fluting but you can also use parchment paper to make it easier to remove.
Topping Ideas
This mini loaf cake is the perfect light summer dessert topped with fresh berries and Cool WhipΒ or with my easy Pineapple Topping. Make a tasty treat by baking in mini loaf pans and layering Strawberry Topping and Whipped Cream for easy strawberry shortcakes.
How to Store
- Serve: This loaf cake can be at room temperature, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for up to 3 days.
- Store: Keep your cake in the refrigerator, covered in aluminum foil or plastic wrap, for 1 week.
- Freeze: Cool cake completely and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Place in a sealed container and freeze for up to 6 months.
Variations
- Flour: If you donβt have cake flour, substitute a cornstarch and all-purpose mixture. Place 1 tablespoon cornstarch in a ½ cup measuring cup and then fill to the top with all-purpose flour.
- Cream of Tartar: Instead of cream of tartar you can swap in 2 teaspoons lemon juice or white vinegar.
- Orange: Give your loaf cake citrus flavor by substituting ¼ teaspoon orange extract for either the vanilla extract or the almond extract.
- Cupcakes: Make individual serving Angel Food Cupcakes and bake in a muffin tin. Line muffin cups and fill to 2/3 full with cake batter. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. No need to invert pan.
- Sheet Cake: Bake in a 13 x 9 inch baking dish (bottom lined with parchment paper) to make an Angel Food Sheet Cake. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, then invert baking dish onto cans to cool.
Related Recipes
More Delicious Easy Loaf Cakes
Your egg whites will whip up better if they are at room temperature. The cream of tartar is used as “insurance” for your egg whites to whip up properly. Adding it after whipping the whites to stiff peaks makes no sense.
The sugar should be added a little at a time while the egg whites are being whipped. This helps in avoiding a grainy texture to your loaf.
You will absolutely want to use parchment on the bottom of your loaf pan if you want it to come loose when cooled.
Thanks for the tips and tricks in your comments Liz.
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe. Came out so good ?. I tried so many but this one is the best.Godbless
This was amazing and so easy! Itβs a keeper and I will use this recipe again and again. The cake was so light and fluffy.
Thank you for this recipe- It was very delicious! I wonder if I can make a chocolate version of it?
Hi Sabrina! I was wondering if this can be made a few days ahead or is it better to eat same day of making it?
I prefer serving the day of but this will last up to a week if stored properly.
I have only 6 large egg whites, will this still work? Or are there adjustments I could make?
I haven’t tested it with any adjustments, sorry. If you decide to still try, I’d love to know how it turns out.
Hi Sabrina,
I made a sugar free version of this loaf by I substituting Monkfruit Sweentener for the sugar (1:1 ratio). It was really good! This one will go in my rotation ?. I am looking forward to trying some of your other recipes.
I noticed that your instructions donβt call for inverting the cake while cooling. Is that not necessary for a loaf version of angel food cake?
Thanks, Elizabeth
Yes, I included it in the post but just added it to the recipe card as well. Don’t want anyone to miss that important step. So glad you’re enjoying the recipes.
Hi Sabrina,
When I looked in my drawer I found 3 different sized loaf pans. Can you tell me the dimensions of the one you used please?
I used a 9×5 loaf pan for this recipe. Enjoy!
Sabrina, is the measurement on the cake flour correct, 1/2 a cup.? That doesn’t sound right, is it possibly 1 1/2 cups.? Thank you
No, 1/2 cup is correct. Angel food cakes are light and don’t require as much flour. It’s not a dense cake. I hope you’ll give it a try.
Do you have to use the oven or are there other ways to cook a angel food cake
I haven’t tested it any other way.
hi sabrina, i cant have almonds. should i increase the vanilla, leave out the almond ext or sub for something else. thanks.
Yes, just double the vanilla extract instead. Enjoy!