I love angel food cake. It is one of my favorite desserts, especially in the summer. Topping it with fresh berries and a dollop of whip cream is a sweet dessert with less guilt.
Sure buying a box of angel food cake mix, adding water to it and giving it a quick mix is easy but making it from scratch is just as easy and nothing beats homemade.
As much as I love using fresh lemons, and I always have lemons on hand, for this recipe I use lemon extract. Lemon juice can be to watery so you don’t want to substitute lemon juice for extract. Plus the lemon extract is much stronger and really helps with the true lemon flavor of this heavenly cake. I do incorporate some lemon zest into the cake and glaze to give little flecks of fresh lemon in the mix.
If you follow me on Facebook I mentioned last weekend that I was making this for a picnic. What I also love to do if I am serving this to guests when entertaining is to soak berries in Limoncello. How about that for a topping?
For the Limoncello topping what you just need to do is cut up the berries you would like to use. I typically use a mix of strawberries and blueberries. Pour some limoncello over the fruit, as much or as little as you want and let the berries take a bath for the day. The longer they soak, the more they will absorb the Limoncello. If I am serving this for dessert I will typically make this in the morning for that evening. It is so good!
For the Limoncello topping what you just need to do is cut up the berries you would like to use. I typically use a mix of strawberries and blueberries. Pour some limoncello over the fruit, as much or as little as you want and let the berries take a bath for the day. The longer they soak, the more they will absorb the Limoncello. If I am serving this for dessert I will typically make this in the morning for that evening. It is so good!
This angel food cake is light but it is bursting with fresh lemon flavor. There is something about this version I simply love. It is a refreshing dessert you can sit and enjoy while watching the sunset after a long day.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups egg whites (about 10-12 eggs)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure lemon extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 cup cake flour
- 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (use lemon that was used for zest. Be sure to zest first before juicing)
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
Lemon Glaze (optional):
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Using a stand mixer or electric mixer with whisk attachment add to a large bowl egg white, lemon extract, cream of tartar, vanilla extract, salt and lemon zest. Stir on medium high speed until stiff peaks form, about 4-5 minutes.
- Reduce speed and gradually add in sugar until just combined.
- Gradually sprinkle in cake flour and by hand fold into mixture a little at a time. Don't over mix.
- Pour batter into 9 or 10 inch tube pan and bake for 35- 40 minutes until top is golden brown and springs back when touched.
- Cool completely.
- In a small bowl combine confectioners sugar. Add a little lemon juice and stir until consistency is desired. Stir in lemon zest and drizzle over cooled angel food cake.
Lemon Glaze:
Note- For best results use fresh egg whites.
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This angel cake looks so airy and so delicious!
Is it possible to use frozen egg whites?
Looks gorgeous and sounds delicious!
Gorgeous cake, Jennifer. I love angel food cake too, everything about it..it’s so delicate! The lemon addition is just absolutely perfect!
I love angel food, your cake looks so pretty!
Oh my word does that look fabulous!!! I LOVE angel food cake (it’s my birthday cake every year) and can’t wait to try this version!
Beautiful! Love the use of lemon extract!
Oh la la! This sounds absolutely delicious!
Can you use the carton egg whites? The cake looks heavenly. I love a good angel food cake. Can’t wait to try it. Thanks
For best results with angel food cake you definitely want to use fresh egg whites. Enjoy and thank you for your comments!
i agree.. you definitely can’t beat homemade. your pictures are gorgeous.
Homemade is always the best in my opinion and this looks fabulous!
Ya know, I don’t make angel food cake often enough. This looks truly angelic!
I’ve always had a hard time making angel food cake from scratch – but it’s been years since I’ve tried. I totally want to try this recipe!
I’ve never made angel food cake. I actually only had angel food cake once. But it was great, I really think I should make it sometime, yum!
OH MY!! I adore angel food cake! It’s so fluffy, soft and delicious! I’m So glad you posted this Jennifer! Can’t wait to make this!
I have a vision in my head of a lemon angel food cake with a bittersweet chocolate ganache glaze. I’ve been digging around the web for just the right angel food cake recipe and this looks like the one. Just reading it, it sounds as if it has enough lemon in it so that it won’t get lost under the chocolate.