This angel food cake is made with only 6 ingredients for the best classic dessert recipe! Each slice is fluffy, light and airy and goes perfectly with a dollop of whipped cream and fresh berries!
Adjust the oven rack to the lower middle position. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Do not grease the tube pan.
In a food processor, pulse the sugar 18 to 20 times, or until fine and powdery. Remove 1 cup and set aside, leaving the rest in the processor. Add the flour. Pulse 8 to 10 times, or until combined and airy.
In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt on medium high until pale and frothy. With the mixer on, add 1 Tablespoon sugar at a time, waiting until combined, before adding the next Tablespoon. Whip a total of 5 to 6 minutes, or until medium peaks form. Add vanilla extract and whip just until combined. Remove bowl from mixer.
Sift 1/4 cup flour mixture over the top of the whipped eggs. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold (see notes) in until no dry ingredients can be seen. Repeat with remaining flour mixture, sifting 1/4 cup at a time.
Carefully pour mixture evenly into a 10-inch tube pan. Smooth the top and gently run a knife through the batter to remove any air pockets. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, or until the top is lightly browned and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Place pan upside down on a wire rack and cool at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours. When completely cooled, run a knife along the inner and outer edge and gently tap on counter until the cake releases.
Using a serrated knife (a regular knife may squish the cake), gently cut into slices. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or top with whipped cream and berries to serve, if desired.
Notes
Strawberry shortcake: Though I can eat this cake all on its own, I love to use it in strawberry shortcake. It is seriously the best!How to fold: The main purpose of folding is to gently incorporate dry ingredients into wet ingredients. To do this, use a rubber spatula to slice down the center of the batter, scraping up the side as you bring the spatula back up while turning the bowl slightly. Repeat until no dry ingredients remain.Tube pan: This pan is an absolute necessity for making this cake, as it won't get the same rise and will probably get stuck in a Bundt pan or regular cake pan. I like the ones with the little feet that makes it easy to cool, but you can let it cool on a wire rack if your pan doesn't have them.Sugar: Don't skip the step of pulsing the granulated sugar to make superfine sugar. If you happen to have superfine or caster sugar, you can pulse 3/4 cup of it with the flour and use 1 cup in the egg whites. Eggs: This cake really benefits from the room temperature egg whites, so don't skip this step. I find it easiest to separate eggs while still cold. Save the egg yolks to make lemon curd. If you forgot to bring the egg whites to room temperature, covering them with warm water for 5 minutes before separating.Cream of tartar: If you don't have cream of tartar, you can use an equal amount of white vinegar or lemon juice (will alter the flavor of the cake) to stabilize the eggs.Variations: This cake is easily adaptable. Try swapping all of the the vanilla extract with almond extract or adding lemon, orange, or lime juice and zest. Storage: The cake will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Freeze: Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in freezer-safe bag in the freezer up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and bring to room temperature before serving.