Go Back
–+ servings
Sourdough Angel Food Cake on a cake stand

Sourdough Angel Food Cake Recipe

Yield: 12 slices
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Cooling Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 4 hours
Made with just 7 simple ingredients, this homemade Sourdough Angel Food Cake has so much more flavor than anything from a box mix, thanks to a little sourdough discard added to the batter! Light as a cloud, this summertime dessert is so delicious when served plain or with fresh berries and homemade whipped cream.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 350 grams granulated sugar 1 3/4 cups
  • 130 grams cake flour 1 cup
  • 1 gram salt 1/4 teaspoon
  • 350 grams egg whites, room temperature 10-12 eggs
  • 6 grams cream of tartar 1 1/2 teaspoons
  • 60 grams sourdough discard, room temperature 1/4 cup
  • 6 grams vanilla extract 1 1/2 teaspoons

Instructions

  1. Position an oven rack in the bottom third of your oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. Have a 9 or 10-inch ungreased tube pan (16-cup capacity) ready.
  2. In a food processor or blender, pulse the sugar until it becomes superfine. Remove 200g of the sugar and sift it into a bowl through a fine mesh strainer, discarding any large granules. Set aside.
    350 grams granulated sugar
  3. Add the cake flour and salt to the food processor with the remaining sugar and pulse about 10 times to aerate the dry ingredients. Sift this mixture into a separate bowl with a fine mesh strainer and discard any large pieces. Set aside.
    130 grams cake flour, 1 gram salt
  4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the room temperature egg whites and cream of tartar. Mix on low speed until foamy, about 1 minute, then increase to medium-high. Gradually add the reserved superfine sugar, beating until the egg whites reach soft peaks about 5-6 minutes. Refer to photos above.
    This can also be done with a hand mixer.
    350 grams egg whites, room temperature, 6 grams cream of tartar
  5. To the egg whites, add the flour mixture in 3 additions, gently folding it into the egg whites with a rubber spatula. Take care not to deflate the batter.
    It’s important not to add all of the flour mixture at once or this can deflate the batter.
  6. Carefully pour the runny, room temperature sourdough discard and vanilla extract on top of the batter and gently fold it until just incorporated.
    60 grams sourdough discard, room temperature, 6 grams vanilla extract
  7. Pour the batter into the ungreased tube pan and gently smooth the top with the rubber spatula. I like to gently shimmy the pan on the counter to smooth out the batter.
  8. Bake for 40–45 minutes or until the top is lightly golden and and a toothpick comes out clean. I like to turn the cake half way through the bake.
  9. Remove from the oven and immediately turn the pan upside down. Allow the cake to cool upside down for at least 3 hours.
    It’s important to cool the cake upside down, otherwise the weight of the cake will cause it to collapse.
  10. Once fully cooled, run a knife around the edges to release the cake. If desired, dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar. Slice with a serrated knife. Other knives can easily squish the cake.
  11. Serve with whipped cream and fresh berries. Enjoy!

Notes

Ingredients & Substitutions

  • Sugar—For the best angel food cake, you'll need to pulse the sugar in a blender or food processor. This extra step is crucial! Since the cake batter is so light and delicate, coarse sugar is too heavy, while powdered sugar dissolves too quickly into the egg whites. Those super-fine granules are just the right size to dissolve easily into the egg whites.
  • Cake flour—There's no substitution here; cake flour is an absolute must for this angel cake. It has a lower protein percentage than all-purpose flour, which gives you that light-as-air texture. Unfortunately, all-purpose flour will give you a more bread-like texture.
  • Eggs — This recipe doesn't call for any leaveners. Instead, this cake gets its rise from egg whites alone! It's important to be very careful when separating the egg whites from the egg yolks. Even just a drop of egg yolk can cause this cake to fall. Carton egg whites don't aerate or whip up as well, so stick with fresh. Save the egg yolks to make a delicious custard or lemon curd to serve with the cake. Or make a pound cake or egg noodles.
  • Cream of tartar—Cream of tartar is an acid that helps stabilize the meringue. Without it, the cake will collapse.
  • Sourdough Discard—Fresh sourdough discard, no more than 1-2 days old, is best for this recipe. You'll also want to use room-temperature discard, as it's so much easier to gently mix into the angel cake batter without deflating it. Sourdough discard from the fridge or an active sourdough starter is too thick, and it'll take longer to incorporate. Runny, room-temperature discard mixes in nicely.
  • Salt - A pinch of salt helps balance the sweetness and brings out the flavor of the other ingredients.
  • Vanilla Extract - Pure vanilla extract is strongly recommended here over imitation for the best flavor.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 174kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 0.3g | Saturated Fat: 0.03g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 82mg | Potassium: 142mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 0.2IU | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 0.2mg
Tried this recipe?Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram!