Gluten-Free Angel Food Cake! The best-tasting angel food cake you’ll ever eat. Light, fluffy and perfect for your favorite desserts. Nobody will ever guess it’s gluten-free!
Hundreds of reviewers agree this is the most delicious gluten-free angel food cake recipe around! This tried-and-true recipe was originally published in 2013 and is one my #1 recipes today.
UPDATED June 2022: This is still my go-to recipe for angel food cake! People are always amazed this is gluten-free. I like using it in desserts like trifle or serving it on it’s own with fresh berries and whipped cream. Enjoy!
To me, angel food cake is more than just a vehicle for strawberries and cream.
Angel food cake is what my Mom and I would make for birthdays every year. She would mix sprinkles into the batter and top it with my Grandma’s 7-minute frosting.
If you’ve never had 7-minute frosting, imagine a cross between a fresh marshmallow and whipped cream. It is pure heaven on fluffy angel food cake!
Angel food cake is also what gets broken up to make my very favorite Gluten-Free Strawberry Trifle. That trifle is probably my favorite summer dessert of all time.
Every year my husband’s Grandma would make cherry and whipped cream fruit filled angel food cake for my mother-in-law’s birthday. I dearly love that cake too!
And though it be humble, I do love the classic angel food cake with fresh fruit and whipped cream.
Since angel food cake is the key to so many favorite desserts, I need to have perfect gluten-free angel food cake in my life! This recipe is the one.
Since angel food cake gets it’s structure from egg whites, it is really easy to make gluten-free.
It is moist and light with great height and flavor. I actually love this cake because it tastes a little more special than the regular box cake everyone is used to eating.
You also might like this gluten-free pound cake. Check out this full collection of gluten-free cake recipes!
For more tried-and-true recipes try this gluten-free pizza crust and gluten-free banana bread.
You can tell this cake is made from scratch, making it extra delicious. But nobody will ever guess it’s gluten-free.
Since there are a few steps I’ve made a visual tutorial for you with step by step photos. I hope it is helpful!
How to Make Gluten-Free Angel Food Cake
1. In the bowl of a food processor, process the gluten-free flour and powdered sugar together until smooth, about 30 seconds.
2. Sift the flour/powdered sugar mixture into a bowl and set aside.
3. Process the granulated sugar slightly, about 5-7 pulses. You don’t want to turn it into powdered sugar, just a little finer than it is normally. Set aside.
4. Place egg whites (that should have sat at room temperature for at least 30 minutes) in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the salt and cream of tartar. Using the whisk attachment, beat on medium speed until starting to foam and soft peaks form. You can also use a hand mixer.
Tip: You can separate the egg whites from the egg yolks or simply buy carton egg whites for this recipe.
5. Add the pure vanilla extract and almond extract and continue whipping on high speed.
6. Add the granulated sugar slowly, about 2 tablespoon at a time to the egg whites while they are whipping.
7. Continue whipping until stiff peaks form.
8. Slowly fold in the dry ingredients 1/4 a cup at a time with a rubber spatula. Do this carefully and slowly so you don’t deflate the egg whites. This is the key to good traditional angel food cake!
9. Spread the angel food cake batter in a ungreased, 10-inch round angel food cake pan.
Tip: An ungreased 10-inch tube pan is key for this recipe. You need a special round angel food pan for best results so the cake can have enough room to expand. Unfortunately a bundt pan won’t work the same.
10. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes until lightly golden. Immediately invert pan onto a cooling rack when you remove it from the oven. Cool completely then run a serrated knife along the edges of the pan and carefully transfer the cake to a serving plate. Enjoy!
Original photo from 2013! I thought the blue plate was so cool – ha!
You could also top this angel food cake with gluten-free raspberry coulis.
More Gluten-Free Recipes
I hope you like this gluten-free angel food cake recipe as much as we do! If you try it be sure to leave me a comment/rating below. I’d love to hear from you!
Perfect Gluten-Free Angel Food Cake
Video
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups egg whites from 10-11 large eggs
- 3/4 cup gluten-free all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Separate the egg whites and allow them to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. In the bowl of a food processor or blender, process the gluten-free flour, cornstarch and powdered sugar together until smooth, about 30 seconds. Pour into a bowl and set aside.
- Add the granulated sugar to the food processor or blender and pulse 5-7 times. You don’t want to turn it into powdered sugar, just a little finer than it is normally. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or using a hand mixer, beat the egg whites on high speed until starting to foam, then add the salt and cream of tartar.
- Add the vanilla extract and almond extract and continue whipping on high speed.
- With the mixer running on high, slowly add the granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until all the sugar is added and the mixture is glossy with soft peaks.
- Using a rubber spatula, slowly fold in the flour mixture, ⅓ at a time. Do this carefully and slowly so you don’t deflate the egg whites. (This is the key to a good angel food cake.) Scoop into an ungreased 10-inch round pan.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, until lightly golden.
- Remove the cake from the oven and immediately flip the cake upside down onto a wire rack. Cool the cake completely.
- Once cooled, run a thin knife around the edge of the cake and gently tap the pan on the counter until the cake releases. Slice with a sharp serrated knife and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe Source: Inspired by King Arthur Flour
Can I make this cake a day ahead?
Thanks,
Kathy
Yes! It works great to make this cake a day in advance 🙂
Can I use almond flour?
Unfortunately that won’t work for this recipe. Almond flour has too much fat for a successful angel food cake.
I used almond flour and every loved it . And baked it in Bundt pan . ♀️
Came out great
Hi! Was wondering if I can freeze this cake once it’s been made. I’d like to make it to use in a strawberry trifle for Easter Sunday. I have a lot of baking to do and would like to get this out of the way. Thanks!
Yes this will freeze great! I let it fully cool, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap followed by a layer of foil. I hope this helps!
Every time I try to make angel food cake from scratch it doesn’t turn out right. This cake was so perfect t and so good! I dont need gf, it was a trial run for a friend and I will make this every time I make angel food now!!! Making it for my dad next, and will see if anyone can tell the difference!
I’m so glad the cake turned out for you! I hope your Dad enjoys it too. It’s always the best when nobody can tell 🙂
I’ve followed the recipe to a tee but after beating the eggs for several minutes, they never got foamy and made stiff peaks. Is this normal? How long are you supposed to beat the egg whites for?
Hi Stefanie! This can happen for several reason. Are your egg whites cold? Also, the most common reason is because there is some sort of fat (egg yolk, grease/oil/butter) present. This can happen if you get egg yolk into the whites, or there is residue from past cooking or baking projects on your bowl or the beaters. I hope this helps!
The temperature and humidity level also may be the culprit!
I cannot get over how perfect this cake is! I don’t have a tube pan so I divided it between 2 regular loaf pans, which were about 2/3 full. The texture is better than anything I thought I’d ever get gluten-free. Thank you!
This is so great to hear! Glad it turned out in the loaf pans. Helpful to know for others!
Is there an egg white alternative that I can use please?
Unfortunately there aren’t any good substitutions for the egg whites. Sorry about that!
I don’t know how it would work in this recipe but look up flax egg and Aquafaba. I’m going to try the aquafaba for mine.
This angel food cake is absolutely delicious! Such a simple recipe to follow, too. I used a bundt pan because I didn’t have a tube pan, but I will definitely be getting one to make this recipe again!
I’m so glad it turned out for you! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Can you use more vanilla extract and skip the almond extract??? Is there another extract that I could use in place of the almond extract?I have a tree nut allergy??
Yes for sure! The almond extract is totally optional. I would just add a little more vanilla!
This has become a family staple for all celebratory events! My kids love this, thank you for bringing something so comforting and delicious.
I’m so glad you love the cake! Thanks for the comment 🙂
When you made the recipe the previous way did you add xanthan gum? Thanks so much!
No I didn’t! I like using a 1:1 baking flour in general – but this cake gets so much structure/stability for the egg whites xanthan gum isn’t totally necessary.
Wow, first time I’ve ever made an Angel Food cake, GF or otherwise, and this turned out perfectly. Well written recipe; I followed it exactly and it was great. Used it in the Trifle for my husband’s birthday and whole family loved it. Thanks!
Birthday trifle is an excellent use of this cake! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I have not made this cake, but iI am wondering if you can substitute Egg Beaters for the egg whites?
Yes that will work great!
I’m going to try with almond flour today.
Did that work? I think of it as too heavy for this cake but would love to try it if it worked.
Wondering how the egg beaters worked. I’ve never heard good things about using them so I’ve been reluctant to try.
This is the best angel food cake I have ever made!
Hands down the best gluten free angel food cake I’ve ever made! It’s tender, light and absolutely delicious!
This is the best Gluten Free Angel Cake recipe I have used- I used Swerve Sweetener and Confectioner’s Sweetener in place of the powdered and granulated sugars( but you have to adjust the sweetener amount per the ratio directions). It comes out AMAZING! I will be making a strawberry and chocolate angel food cake soon to see how those come out!
This cake tastes like a gluten full cake! No Difference! I use it in my trifle. No one has ever guessed it was gluten free!
This is so helpful to know about the Swerve Sweetener! Thanks for the comment because I’m sure it will help others. Glad you enjoyed it!
Share the recipe for ur chocolate angel food cake, please.