Daffodil Cake Recipe (With Step-by-Step)

A decorated cake topped with edible flowers on a glass platter with a slice removed and served on a separate plate — Credit:
Jacob Fox

Prep Time:

20 mins

Total Time:

55 mins

Servings:

10 to 12

Much like its namesake flower, the daffodil cake is a cheerful sign that warmer days are ahead. It’s a vintage recipe thought to date back to the 1930s and a clever variation on the angel food cakes that were so popular at that time. Here's how it works: half of the batter is ethereal angel food; the other half is enriched with egg yolks and the zest and juice of an orange and a lemon. After layering both in a tube pan and baking, you pour the tart, citrusy glaze on top to create a dessert that will rouse your taste buds—and brighten any gathering.

4 Tips for a Light, Airy Daffodil Cake

Don't skip the sift: We don't always call for sifting in our cake recipes, but when we do—like for this tall, tender cake—it's for a good reason. Sifting aerates the flour and helps to break up any clumps. It also makes it easier to fold in the dry ingredients later on.

Do skip the grease: There's no need to grease the pan for this recipe. In fact, doing so will hinder the batter's ability to climb up the sides as it bakes.

Use a light touch: When folding in the dry ingredients in step 4, and again when adding some of the egg-white mixture to the yolk mixture in step 5, do so with a very light hand to keep the eggs from deflating. And be sure to only add one-third of the flour mixture at a time, folding it in gently but thoroughly before incorporating the next portion.

Cool upside down: Just like when making a classic angel food cake, you'll want to cool this cake upside down to keep it from sinking and collapsing as it sits. If your pan doesn't have feet on the bottom to keep it elevated, you can rest it on the neck of a wine bottle.

An optional splash of orange-blossom water adds a floral, complex depth to the glaze. Should you need ideas for using up the rest of the bottle, take a peek at our recipes for orange madelines, this pistachio-rhubarb yogurt cake, and this refreshing Aperol-gin punch.

The Right Pan for This Recipe

This recipe calls for an angel food cake pan, a special two-piece tube pan with a removable bottom. It is hollow in the center, allowing heat to circulate more evenly around the batter for even cooking, and has straight sides that encourage the cake to rise tall as it bakes. The removable bottom makes releasing the delicate cake at the end a breeze. We don't recommend using a one-piece tube pan as the cake may stick and not come out in one piece.

Directions

Ingredients for baking including eggs sugar butter flour citrus fruits and edible flowers arranged on a surface — Jacob Fox

Preheat oven; sift dry ingredients:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Sift flour, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt through a coarse-mesh sieve onto a piece of parchment.

Jacob Fox
Beat egg yolks with sugar:

Beat yolks and 1/4 cup sugar with an electric mixer on high speed until doubled in volume, 3 minutes. Beat in both zests and juices.

Jacob Fox
Beat egg whites:

In a clean bowl with clean whisks, beat egg whites on high speed until foamy. Beat in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 1 cup sugar; beat to stiff peaks. Transfer to a large, wide bowl.

Jacob Fox
Sift dry ingredients over egg white mixture in thirds:

Sift one-third of flour mixture over top; gently but thoroughly fold in. Repeat twice more with remaining flour mixture.

Jacob Fox
Assemble cake and bake:

Fold half of egg-white mixture into yolk mixture; dollop into an ungreased 10-inch angel food cake pan. Top with remaining egg-white mixture. Run a knife through to release air bubbles. Bake until top springs back when lightly touched, 35 to 40 minutes.

Jacob Fox

Jacob Fox
Invert cake pan, cool and release from pan:

Invert pan onto its legs (or rest on the neck of a wine bottle); let cool 1 hour. Run a knife around inside of pan and tube to release cake and unmold, then use it to release cake from pan bottom; remove.

Jacob Fox

Jacob Fox
Make glaze and pour over cake:

Whisk together all ingredients to create a thick but pourable glaze. Place cake on a cake stand and pour glaze over top, letting it drip down sides. Let stand until set, about 30 minutes; decorate with flowers.

If glaze is too thick, whisk in more lemon juice, 1 teaspoon at a time; if glaze is too thin, whisk in more confectioners' sugar.

Jacob Fox

Jacob Fox

If glaze is too thick, whisk in more lemon juice, 1 teaspoon at a time; if glaze is too thin, whisk in more confectioners' sugar.

How to Store Daffodil Cake

This cake is best served the day it's made but can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 day. If you're able to hold off on adding the glaze until the following day, wrap the cooled cake in plastic wrap overnight; otherwise, use a large airtight container like a cake carrier to store it instead.

Other Ways to Decorate Daffodil Cake

Pansies add charm to this cheerful cake, but there are other ways to finish the dessert if you can't locate pesticide-free edible flowers. Lean into the cake's bright, citrusy flavor by making a few candied lemon slices or a batch of candied citrus peel to scatter over the top for a whimsical look instead.