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, cornstarch, 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 40 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 (330g) egg whites from 10-11 large eggs
- 3/4 cup (112g) gluten-free measure-for-measure flour
- 1/4 cup (32g) cornstarch
- 3/4 cup (90g) powdered sugar
- 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (175g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 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
Does this angel food Cake freeze well?
Hi Kay, yes it freezes well! You can freeze it for up to 3 months. Just wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then in a layer of foil. We hope you enjoy the angel food cake!
I need to make this ahead of time, can you freeze this cake after it is baked?
Hi Patty, you can freeze it for up to 3 months! Just wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then in a layer of foil. We hope you enjoy the angel food cake!
Would love your comments on what I did wrong . . . I made 2 recipes of this cake yesterday, and both times, the egg whites (which were stiff before I added the granulated sugar) became soupy – not glossy and stiff like a meringue – when I very gradually added the sugar. I used egg whites from a carton – do you think that could have been the problem? Thanks for your help.
The brand of egg whites does make a difference! I’ve had good success with Eggland’s Best and the Target Good & Gather brand. Fresh egg whites are always the most reliable. I hope this helps!
We have tree nut allergies in our family. What’s a good sub for the almond extract? Thanks!!!
Hi Laura, you should be fine to either leave it out or sub vanilla extract for the almond extract. We hope you enjoy the angel food cake!
Made this GF cake for my mom’s birthday .. she said it was the best birthday cake she ever had, and she’s 85! Now making again for my daughters birthday… I frost with boiled icing and serve it with some homemade lemon curd and it’s a hit! Easy to make and turn out perfect!
Hi Dawne, thank you for taking time to share your feedback! We’re so happy everyone loved the angel food cake!
My daughter in law can not have corn. Can I substitute Tapioca Starch for the corn starch?
Hi Marcia, good question! Yes, you can use tapioca starch in place of the cornstarch.
Made this yesterday, and it was delicious. It came out soft and had a great texture and flavor. Will definitely use this recipe again, and share with other gluten free people I know.
Thank you for the kind feedback, Lynne! We’re so glad you enjoyed the angel food cake!
Any substitutions for angel food cake pan?
Hi Debbie, unfortunately a bundt pan or other substitutions won’t work the same. An ungreased 10-inch tube pan is key for this recipe. The special round angel food pan offers enough room for the cake to expand and provides the best results. We’re sorry!
Hi, I am really excited about trying out this recipe. Was just wondering how many days in advance I can make it? And how can I storage it?
Thank you
Hi Ana, we recommend storing it at room temperature (tightly covered with plastic wrap) for up to 3 days. We don’t recommend refrigerating it. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months! Just wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then in a layer of foil. We hope you enjoy the angel food cake!
How much Arrowroot Powder do I use instead of cornstarch?
Hi Mary, you can sub it 1:1. We hope you enjoy the angel food cake!
I was wondering if it froze well? Loved it
Hi Kelly, we’re so glad you loved it! Yes, you can freeze it for up to 3 months! Just wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then in a layer of foil.
I dont have cream of tartar on hand is that a problem?
Hi Nuccia, the cream of tartar is important for the cake’s light, fluffy texture. We haven’t tried this recipe without it, but some say you can substitute lemon juice or white vinegar for cream of tartar. The guidance is for every ½ teaspoon of cream of tartar in a recipe, use 1 teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar. These substitutions might change the texture of the cake. If you decide to give it a try, we’d love to hear how it goes!
Wondering what other 1:1 flour blends would work? Can’t get KA here, but have access to Bob’s Red Mill 1:1.
Hi Sara, we love Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 too! You can definitely use it in place of KAF.
I made this GF Angel Food Cake for Easter for my family. Everyone loved it! I’m the only one with a wheat allergy, but all my family loved it! Definitely a winner!
This recipe is outstanding! I was a little nervous as I’ve never made an Angel Food cake. It was easy and turned out perfect! Just like the cake I remember eating so many years ago before I had to go gluten free.