Food & Cooking Recipes Dessert & Treats Recipes Cake Recipes Lemony Angel Food Cake This citrusy, sweet, and light-as-air cake is as dreamy as it looks. Prep Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 50 mins Total Time: 2 hrs 50 mins Servings: 12 Yield: 1 10-inch cake Jump to recipe Our lemon angel food cake is an impossibly light dessert packed with citrus flavor. It calls for both lemon zest and juice plus a touch of vanilla extract for a bright, balanced taste. You’ll need a dozen egg whites to make the batter, but leave the butter in the refrigerator—angel food cake doesn’t call for any fat whatsoever, not even for greasing the pan. Speaking of pans, you’ll need a specific one for this recipe: Called an angel food cake pan or tube pan, it features a tube in the center and a removable bottom for an easy release. Serve this airy, vibrant cake with whipped cream and lemon curd or berries for a perfect spring or summertime dessert. 36 Recipes With Lemon That Take You From Breakfast to Dessert Credit: Carson Downing The Equipment You Need for Making Lemon Angel Food Cake Making angel food cake at home requires a few specific pieces of equipment: Sifter: The last thing you want to bite into when enjoying a light, fluffy slice of angel food cake is a clump of sugar or flour, so be sure to sift your flour and some of the sugar before folding them into the egg white mixture. Use a sifter if you've got one or a very fine mesh sieve. Electric mixer: This cake calls for a whopping 12 egg whites, which you'll need to whip to firm peaks. If you have a stand mixer, it's worth using for this task as it will take about 10 minutes to reach the desired consistency. You can also use a hand-held electric mixer. Silicon spatula: A silicone spatula is the perfect tool for gently and gradually folding the flour-sugar mixture into the whipped egg whites. A note of caution from Martha: It may look like the dry ingredients will never fully incorporate into the whites, but keep at it and eventually they will. Angel food cake pan: Put down your Bundt pan—this is no place for it. It's crucial to use a tube pan with a removable bottom—also known as an angel food cake pan—for this recipe. It features a hollow tube in the center, which allows the interior of the cake to cook at the same rate as the outside. Its straight sides, meanwhile, help the batter to creep up and stick as the cake bakes for that characteristic, towering look. Some pans come with little feet that will hold the cake upside down as it cools, but these aren't essential: You can perch the inverted pan on a wine bottle to cool with equally good results. We do strongly suggest using a tube pan with a removable bottom, however, as it'll make removing your cake significantly easier. Whipping Egg Whites: Firm vs. Stiff Peaks Unlike for other cake recipes where egg whites are beaten to stiff peaks and then folded into a batter to lighten it, the key with angel food cake is to beat the egg whites and sugar until firm, but not stiff, peaks form. If you beat them until they're stiff, they won't be able to further expand in the oven and you'll risk ending up with a dense, gummy cake. To tell whether your egg whites have reached the point of stiff peaks, remove the whisk from the stand-mixer (or simply invert it if using a hand-held mixer) and look at the point that forms at the tip of the whisk. It should fold over itself and not stand straight up (but still be firm enough to cling to the whisk). If your egg whites stand straight up without flopping over, they are over-beaten. Directions Credit: Carson Downing Preheat oven; sift flour and sugar: Preheat oven to 325°F, with rack in lower third of oven. Sift flour and 1/2 cup sugar into a bowl. Credit: Carson Downing Whisk egg whites; add lemon, tartar, vanilla, and salt: Whisk whites with a mixer on medium speed until frothy, about 1 minute. Add lemon zest and juice, cream of tartar, vanilla, and salt; continue whisking until soft peaks form, about 2 1/2 minutes. Credit: Carson Downing Credit: Carson Downing Add remaining sugar and whisk whites till firm peaks: With mixer running, gradually add remaining cup sugar. Increase speed to medium-high; continue whisking until firm, not stiff, peaks form, about 7 minutes. Credit: Carson Downing Fold in flour mixture in 3 parts: Sprinkle whites with 1/3 of the flour-sugar mixture. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold to combine. Sprinkle remaining flour-sugar mixture over whites in 2 additions; gently fold to combine. Credit: Carson Downing Transfer batter to angel food cake pan and bake: Transfer batter to a 10-inch angel food cake pan with legs. Gently run a knife through the center of the batter to remove any air bubbles. Bake until a tester inserted into center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Credit: Carson Downing Cool cake in pan; remove from pan and cool on rack: Remove pan from oven, and invert onto its cooling legs; let cool, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Run a knife around the inner and outer edges of cake to remove. Invert onto a serving platter. (Use a knife to separate cake from bottom of pan.) Let cool on a wire rack. Credit: Carson Downing Credit: Carson Downing If your tube pan doesn't have legs, invert it over the neck of a wine, or similarly shaped, bottle to cool. How to Store Angel Food Cake Cooled angel food cake can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Since it doesn't contain any fat, it will start to dry out after a couple days and take on a brittle, crusty texture. If you have leftover angel food cake that won't be consumed in two days, you can slice it and freeze the slices. Wrap them well in plastic wrap, followed by a layer of foil, and store in a freezer bag, they will keep for up to 3 months. When defrosted they may not be quite as light and airy as they were when the cake was freshly baked, but it's nothing a dollop of whipped cream or a spoonful of juicy berries can't fix. Decorating Lemon Angel Food Cake This bright, citrusy cake is delicious served with a dollop of whipped cream and some fresh berries or lemon curd. For a more show-stopping presentation, make a lemon cream (recipe below) to frost it with and top the frosted cake with our candied lemon slices. Lemon Cream Prepare an ice-water bath.Whisk 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon cake flour, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil; whisk constantly for 1 minute, until it thickens. Transfer to a heatproof bowl set in an ice-water bath to cool completely, stirring occasionally.Meanwhile, whisk 1 1/2 cups chilled heavy cream and 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest with a mixer on medium speed until medium peaks form, about 3 minutes. Gently fold whipped cream into juice mixture in thirds. Make Ahead: The lemon cream can be made up to one day ahead and refrigerated until you're ready to use it to frost the cake. 5 More Light and Airy Cake Recipes Angel Food Cake Chiffon Cake With Strawberries and Cream Coconut Cloud Cake Daffodil Cake Chocolate Angel Food Cake With Double-Chocolate Frosting This recipe has been amended to reflect several changes to the original version from the May 2009 issue of decorvow Living. Updated by Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds is an experienced recipe developer, recipe tester, food editor, and writer with over a decade of experience in the food and media industries.