Mini Angel Food Cake
This Mini Angel Food Cake is light, fluffy, and baked to a soft golden finish. Made with whipped egg whites and a few simple ingredients, it’s the perfect small dessert.
Servings: 4 servings
Equipment
- 5x7 inch baking dish or a 5x5 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
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 116kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 0.2g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 114mg | Potassium: 50mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 18g | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 0.4mg
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