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This Mini Angel Food Cake is light, fluffy, and perfectly golden on top. Made with whipped egg whites and a few pantry staples, it bakes into a soft, sponge-like cake that’s easy to make and just the right size for one or two people.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Light and Airy: Whipped egg whites create a soft, sponge-like texture.
- Everyday Ingredients: No cake flour or special tools needed.
- No Tube Pan Needed: Bakes in a small dish you likely already have.
- Small Batch: Perfect size for one or two people.
- Simple to Make: Clear steps using basic techniques.
There’s something almost magical about this little angel food cake. It rises tall, light as air, with a soft golden top and a texture that practically melts in your mouth. I love how it comes together with just a few simple ingredients, yet feels like something you’d find in a bakery box.
It’s my go-to when I want a dessert that’s beautiful, unfussy, and just enough to share—or keep all to myself.
Looking for more mini cakes sized for one or two? Try our mini lemon cake, mini devil’s food cake, mini pound cake, and mini red velvet cake.
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this small angel food cake recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Egg Whites: These form the base of the cake’s structure. Whipping them adds volume and gives the cake its light, airy texture. Be sure to use freshly separated egg whites, not boxed or carton egg whites—those often don’t whip well and can lead to a dense cake. Use the egg yolks to make single serving custard, a mini banana bread, a small key lime pie, or small batch of butter cookies.
- Cream of Tartar: Helps stabilize the egg whites so they whip up properly and hold their shape.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How To Make Angel Food Cake
These photos and instructions help you visualize how to make this easy angel food cake recipe. See the recipe card below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
Before You Begin: Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Position the oven rack in the center.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a small bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons of sugar, the flour, cornstarch, and salt. Set aside.
- Whip Egg Whites: In a medium bowl, use an electric hand mixer on medium-low speed to beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase to medium-high and slowly add the remaining sugar. Continue beating until soft peaks form, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add Vanilla: Mix in the vanilla extract just until combined.
- Fold in Dry Ingredients: Sift the flour mixture into the egg whites using a fine mesh strainer or sifter. Gently fold with a rubber spatula until the dry ingredients are fully mixed in. Be careful not to deflate the batter—use slow, sweeping motions from the bottom of the bowl.
- Transfer to Baking Dish: Pour the batter into an ungreased 5×5-inch or 5×7-inch baking dish. Set the dish on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Bake: Bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool Upside Down: Immediately invert the baking dish onto a wire rack and cool completely, about 2 hours.
- Remove from Dish: Once cooled, run a thin knife around the edges and gently tilt and shake the dish to help release the cake.
Expert Tips
- Use the Right Baking Dish: Use an ungreased, nonstick 5×5-inch or 5×7-inch baking dish. A 5×5-inch dish will fill nearly to the top, and the cake may rise above the rim as it bakes—this is expected. It’s not a problem because the cake is cooled upside down, which helps it maintain its height and fluffy texture without collapsing. A 5×7-inch dish gives you a cake that still rises well, but stays within the sides of the dish and bakes beautifully.
- Whip Egg Whites to Soft Peaks: Soft peaks are key to a light, airy texture. When you lift the beaters, the peaks should gently curl and fall back into the bowl after a few seconds. This allows the batter to expand in the oven. If the egg whites are whipped to stiff peaks, the structure becomes too firm and the cake may collapse.
- Don’t Let Yolks Mix In: Even a small drop of yolk can keep the whites from whipping. Separate the eggs carefully and make sure no yolk gets into the bowl.
- Don’t Grease the Baking Dish: The batter needs to stick to the sides of the dish to rise properly. If the pan is greased, the cake may sink as it bakes.
- Cool the Cake Upside Down: As soon as the cake is done baking, invert the dish onto a wire rack. Cooling upside down is essential to keep the cake from sinking and helps it hold its structure.
Serving Suggestions
This light and fluffy cake is delicious on its own or with a simple topping—here are a few easy ways to serve it:
- Dust with powdered sugar.
- Serve with whipped cream and fresh berries.
- Spoon lemon curd over each slice.
Frequently Asked Questions
The most common reasons are over-whipped egg whites, greasing the baking dish, or skipping the upside-down cooling step. For best results, whip the egg whites to soft peaks—not stiff—use an ungreased baking dish so the batter can cling to the sides, and cool the cake upside down to help it maintain its height and structure.
Wrap leftover angel food cake tightly in plastic wrap or place in an airtight container. Store at room temperature for up to 2 days. For best texture, enjoy it soon after baking.
To freeze, wrap the cake in plastic wrap, then in foil, and place in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
Mini Angel Food Cake
Equipment
- 5×7 inch baking dish or a 5×5 inch baking dish
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar -divided
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ tablespoon cornstarch
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 3 large egg whites at room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Position the oven rack in the center.
- In a small bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons of sugar, the flour, cornstarch, and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, use an electric hand mixer on medium-low speed to beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase to medium-high and slowly add the remaining sugar. Continue beating until soft peaks form, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Mix in the vanilla extract just until combined.
- Sift the flour mixture into the egg whites using a fine mesh strainer or sifter. Gently fold with a rubber spatula until the dry ingredients are fully mixed in. Be careful not to deflate the batter—use slow, sweeping motions from the bottom of the bowl.
- Pour the batter into an ungreased 5×5-inch or 5×7-inch baking dish. Set the dish on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Bake for 25-27 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Immediately invert the baking dish onto a wire rack and cool completely, about 2 hours.
- Once cooled, run a thin knife around the edges and gently tilt and shake the dish to help release the cake.Place the cake on a plate and dust with powdered sugar, if desired. Serve on its own or with whipped cream and berries.
Notes
- Use the Right Baking Dish: Use an ungreased, nonstick 5×5-inch or 5×7-inch baking dish. A 5×5-inch dish will fill nearly to the top, and the cake may rise above the rim as it bakes—this is expected. It’s not a problem because the cake is cooled upside down, which helps it maintain its height and fluffy texture without collapsing. A 5×7-inch dish gives you a cake that still rises well, but stays within the sides of the dish and bakes beautifully.
- Whip Egg Whites to Soft Peaks: Soft peaks are key to a light, airy texture. When you lift the beaters, the peaks should gently curl and fall back into the bowl after a few seconds. This allows the batter to expand in the oven. If the egg whites are whipped to stiff peaks, the structure becomes too firm and the cake may collapse.
- Don’t Let Yolks Mix In: Even a small drop of yolk can keep the whites from whipping. Separate the eggs carefully and make sure no yolk gets into the bowl.
- Don’t Grease the Baking Dish: The batter needs to stick to the sides of the dish to rise properly. If the pan is greased, the cake may sink as it bakes.
- Cool the Cake Upside Down: As soon as the cake is done baking, invert the dish onto a wire rack. Cooling upside down is essential to keep the cake from sinking and helps it hold its structure.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Thank you so much for this recipe! A mini angel food cake recipe made from scratch At first glance I thought it was made from a box mix. This is absolutely wonderful. I’ll be making this soon
I haven’t made this yet but plan on it. Is it possible that the size of the baking dish be listed when choosing to 2x the recipes? I have difficulty figuring out what size baking dish to use when I want to double the recipe. I do appreciate that I can change the recipe to 2x by clicking on that button and the ingredients are then listed in that quanity automatically. Thank you
I’m glad you find the 2x feature helpful. We include the doubling option for convenience, but we haven’t tested this particular recipe in different baking dish sizes beyond the original. If you’d like to double it, we recommend using two of the baking dish sizes listed.
In some of our other recipes, we do test various baking dish sizes, and when we know those work well, we include that information directly in the recipe post.
Can I use a sugar substitute and still get a good outcome?
We have not tested this recipe with any sugar substitutes.
Just what I have been wanting; a mini version of a Angel Food Cake recipe. I Love Angel Food cake.
From the bottom of my heart, I Thank You
By adjusting the time; I’m going to make this in my Ramekins.
I have been using my ramekins for making mini food items like this.
You’re an Angel! Many thanks again
Thank you so much for your sweet comment—it truly made my day!
Can I use a bundt pan?
This is a small cake, meant to be baked in a 5×5-inch or 5×7-inch baking dish. A standard bundt pan would be much too large for the small amount of batter, so I wouldn’t recommend using one for this recipe.
Came out perfectly. I added a little almond extract as well as vanilla extract. I doubled the recipe and divided the batter in between 4 mini cheesecake pans. Truly delicious.
I don’t have that size baking dish, but I have a 4-inch round cake pan and a 6-inch cake. Would either work for this recipe?
A 6-inch round or a 6-inch square cake pan should work well for this recipe. The 4-inch pan will likely be too small for the amount of batter. Just be sure to keep an eye on the bake time, as it may vary slightly depending on the pan you use.
Great recipe.
Thank you!