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
READ INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE MAKING! I thought I messed it up when I mixed the sugar in with the flour instead of adding it by itself. It still cooked up and was amazingly delicious. I can’t tell it’s gluten free. Really delicious. First GF Angel food cake recipe I tried – and the last. It’s a keeper.
Recently, found out I’m celiac and want to make this angel food cake recipe. I’m not much of a cook/baker so don’t have a food processor. Can this recipe be made just using a hand mixer? Thanks!
Yes you can make this with a hand mixer just fine!
I’ve made Angel Food cake many times (and macarons), so I have worked with egg whites before. I wanted to make a gf free angel food cake for my daughter’s birthday. I’m so confused, TWICE the egg white broke! First time they just turned to water, 2nd time they foamed and then turned hard. Since this was so early in the recipe Im wondering about the amout of vanilla & almond extract (1 TB + 1/4 tsp). any thoughts?
Oh no! What brand of egg whites are you using? If you’re using carton egg whites not all are created equal. Also make sure there is no oil, egg yolk or fat in the bowl and utensils you’re using to whip the egg whites.
Can I use the egg whites from a carton, rather than from whole eggs? I never know what to do with a bunch of leftover yolks! thanks.
Yes that will work great! Some brands of boxed egg cartons work better than others. I really like the Target Good and Gather brand – they whip up well!
I believe the recipe is wrong, I’ve checked other angel food cake recipes and the amount of vanilla or other extract is no more than 1 1/4 tsp. I used real eggs and they there aged yokes (24 hrs) @ room temp like I always do
Hi There,
Have you ever tried using all confectioner’s sugar instead of a mix of confectioners and granulated sugar? I’d rather not use granulated sugar.
I haven’t tried this myself and I don’t recommend it. Granulated sugar adds needed structure to the cake.
Hi, do you think these could be made as cupcakes?
I have never made this as cupcakes myself but I think it should work great! Sounds delicious too. I would simply reduce the baking time to 20-25 minutes. Keep an eye on it towards the end – I hope this helps!
Every birthday for as long as I can remember, my grandma has made me angel food cake. It’s my favorite tradition! I cried when I was diagnosed with celiac because I didn’t think I’d ever eat angel food cake again. Then I found this recipe and I am AMAZED!!! I made it for my family (non gf) and no one could tell that it was gluten free. It is SO DELICIOUS!!! Highly highly highly recommend. It truly tastes like the regular angel food cake I grew up on, maybe even better!
This comment made my day! I’m so glad this recipe helped you enjoy angel food cake again! I hope you can continue to enjoy it for birthdays to come!
Hi Erin, I am getting ready to make this for my nieces birthday and wonder how you recommend storing it? Thank you for your great recipes.
I recommend storing this cake at room temperature on a plate tightly wrapped with plastic wrap. I hope you all enjoyed it!
Mine is happening now in the oven! Can believe it looks exactly like the pic
Wish I could post a picture
I’ve got cream ready to whip and berries coullie ready to go. Can’t wait!
Only thing is my oven has been preheating for more than one hour so with 25 mins to go, my cake has already browned on the top!
Nevertheless I love it, thank you
I’m so glad the cake turned out for you! You can place a piece of foil over top the cake if it starts to brown too quickly next time. I hope this helps!
Would this recipe work with Stevia, erythritol or monk fruit for sweetner? My husband is gf and I am sf.
I haven’t tried this myself! I would search through the comments to see if others have. I will say that sugar is important for the structure of the cake so I’m not sure how it would turn out.
My niece was just diagnosed with celiac disease and I wanted to make sure she felt included at Christmas being able to enjoy all the foods there. I made your trifle using this angel food cake recipe and I cannot thank you enough it turned out perfect, awesome and looked just like the photos!!!
Thank you for sharing this recipe! My mom has celiac disease and hasn’t had her favorite angel food cake in over 15 years. It was so special to make this recipe for her for her birthday! This was one of the most approachable gluten free cake recipes I’ve found, and she loved it! Even my 2 year old son got in the mix of helping to make it 🙂
Hooray! So sweet of you to make your Mom’s favorite! I’m so glad you found the recipe approachable and delicious!
Do I need a mixer or can I use a spoon or whisk?
The nutritional information is for 1/12 th if the cake? It doesn’t say what a serving is…
It is for 1/8th of the cake. I hope that helps!
I have made this before but I can’t remember if I had a gluten free flour with or without xanthan gum. If my gf blend doesn’t have xanthan gum, do I need to add some?
This is one of the rare recipes on my websites where you don’t have to use a flour with xanthan gum. The eggs provide most of the structure. You don’t have to add any xanthan gum if your blend doesn’t contain it.
Hi Erin,
Love your Angel Food cake and your other recipes. Thank you for all the hard work to create them for us!
Just a quick question. I have seen the Confetti Angel Food Cakes in the store….do you happen to know how I would be able to do that with your GF Angel Food cake recipe?
Thank you!
You can definitely turn this into a confetti angel food cake! You can add 1/2 cup of sprinkles to the batter. Make sure you use rainbow jimmies (the long strand sprinkles) or quins (the flat circle/shaped sprinkles). I find both don’t bleed their color nearly as quickly as nonpareils (the little balls).
I added fresh orange zest, topped with a vanilla orange glaze, and served with vanilla orange ice cream. So dreamy! I inherited my grandma’s tube pan and love trying new AFC recipes. This one is a winner! I’m wondering how it would work with maple sugar and a maple glaze???
The orange additions sound amazing! So fun to bake it in your Grandma’s pan. I also love the idea with maple glaze! You could add maple extract to the cake but I’m not sure about maple sugar.