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This lemon angel food cake is light and fluffy and almost melts in your mouth. It has the perfect amount of lemon flavor and is the perfect spring or summer dessert. I love it with strawberry compote and fresh whipped cream.
You need this lemon angel food cake in your life. The soft texture, lemony flavor, and endless serving options make this a go-to summer dessert.
A few simple tips for beating the egg whites, prepping the pan, and cooling upside down, will give you the angel food cake of your dreams. It’s the same tricks I use for gluten-free angel food cake and they work like a charm.
Why You’ll Love this Lemon Angel Food Cake
- Just the right amount of lemon flavor.
- Perfectly light and fluffy—like a cloud.
- Simple to make.
- Great for entertaining.
- Customize it to serve with your favorite sauces and fruit.
- Delicious summer treat.
Love lemon desserts? Try gluten-free lemon drizzle cake, lemon blueberry turnovers, and gluten-free lemon bars next.
Ingredients You Need
Here are the simple ingredients for this curried chicken salad. Jump to recipe for exact measurements.
- Granulated sugar: adds sweetness and whips with the egg whites for the cake structure.
- Cake flour: it’s light and fluffy texture adds to the cloud-like cake. If you don’t have any at home you can make your own cake flour.
- Salt: to balance the sweet.
- Egg whites: whipped egg whites give the cake structure and help it rise.
- Cream of tartar: to stabilize the egg whites.
- Vanilla extract: for flavor!
- Lemon extract: instead of lemon juice.
- Lemon zest: to add a ton of real lemon flavor.
You’ll notice: there aren’t any leavening ingredients in this recipe. Angel food cake relies solely on whipped egg whites for lifting this cake sky-high. Divide the egg yolk from the egg white separately because even a tiny bit of fat from the yolk and affect the end result.
How to Make Lemon Angel Food Cake
Here are the step-by-step instructions with photos. Jump to recipe card for the printable instructions.
- Pulse the sugar: add it to a food processor and pulse to make it really fine. Remove 1 cup to use for the egg whites.
- Mix dry ingredients: add the dry ingredients to the remaining sugar.
- Whip the egg whites: separate the egg whites an electric mixer with or stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the cream of start and egg whites until frothy. Add part of the sugar and to beat them until soft peaks form, 5-6 minutes. Mix in the lemon zest, lemon extract, and vanilla extract on medium-low speed.
- Sift fry ingredients: mix together the remaining sugar, cake flour, and salt, then sift it into the egg white mixture.
- Fold to combine: gently fold the cake batter with a spatula to combine, doing your best to keep the airy texture.
- Bake: Carefully pour the cake into an ungreased angel food cake pan (tube pan). Bake at 325°F for 40-45 minutes.
- Cool upside down: Carefully flip the cake over onto a wire rack and cool it completely for at least 3 hours.
- Serve: Run a knife around the edge of the pan to help it release. Slice and serve with strawberry compote, fresh fruit, or whipped cream.
Tips for Angel Food Cake
- DO NOT spray the cake pan. The batter clings to the side of the pan to help it rise. Greasy pans prevent this from happening.
- Beat the sugar to soft peaks (see image bove).
- It’s much easier to separate the egg yolk and white when they’re cold.
- Always cool angel food cake upside down. The cake is so light that it can be crushed by it’s own weight and you could be left with a sunken angel food cake.
Storing Leftovers
Store angel food cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days or up to a week in the fridge.
To freeze, wrap the whole cake or individual slices in plastic wrap then aluminum foil. Place in a freezer bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 4 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and serve.
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Lemon Angel Food Cake Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup cake flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 12 large egg whites
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon extract
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Strawberry compote and whipped cream to serve
Instructions
- Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Add the granulated sugar to the bowl of a food processor or blender. Pulse for 10 to 20 seconds to create a super fine texture. Remove 3/4 cup of sugar to a separate bowl.
- In a medium bowl, add the remaining 1 cup of granulated sugar, cake flour and salt.1 3/4 cups granulated sugar, 1 cup cake flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Using a handled mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar together on medium speed until until foamy, about 1 minute. Add the 3/4 cup of reserved sugar and turn the speed to high and whip for 5-6 minutes until soft peaks form.12 large egg whites, 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- Add the vanilla extract, lemon extract and lemon zest and beat until just combined.1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon extract, Zest of 1 lemon
- Sift the flour mixture into the egg white mixture in three separate additions. Gently fold the flour into the egg whites with a rubber spatula after each one.
- Scrape the batter into a 10-inch angel food cake pan (tube pan). Do NOT grease the pan.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Rotate the pan in the oven half way through to ensure even baking.
- Cool the cake upside down set on a wire rack for approximately 3 hours. Once cooled, run a knife around the outside of the pan and gently tap the sides until the cake releases.
- Serve a spoonful of strawberry compote on top of a piece of angel food cake. Store both separately in an air tight container. Thin compote by heating in the microwave for a few seconds.
Equipment
- Angel food cake pan (Tube Pan)
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe by: Molly Thompson of What Molly Made | Photography by: Sierra Inn
I did not have a mixer, I tried to mix/beat by hand lol….waiting to see how it turns out …. I am not sure this is going to rise lol! next time I will try it at my own home with the correct tools … but fingers crossed lol.
Hope it worked for you! As long as you reached soft peaks for the egg whites it should be good. Thanks!
Made this as my mom’s birthday cake and it was so fluffy and delicious! Making it again for Mother’s Day at everyone’s request!
Love that!
I’m obsessed with the melt-in-your mouth texture that angel food cake has, literally like eating a cloud! Love this strawberry-lemon combo! Spring fever in cake form!
Hey Bethany!! I feel the exact same way about angel food cake. The texture is just so good:) And lemon/strawberry is soooo yummy.
❤️Molly