This Angel Food Cake with Lemon Honey Yogurt Sauce Recipe is a light and fluffy recipe, which is made with egg whites and cake flour. It’s a classic, foolproof recipe, ready in about 2 hours.
Jump to RecipeAngel Food Cake with Lemon Honey Yogurt Sauce Recipe Ingredients
Cake: * 12 egg whites, at room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 1/4 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest, plus extra for garnish
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup cake flour
- Fresh mint sprigs, for garnish
Sauce:
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
How To Make Angel Food Cake with Lemon Honey Yogurt Sauce Recipe
- Prep the Oven: Place an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Do not grease the angel food cake pan.
- Whip the Egg Whites: In a large, clean mixing bowl, combine the room temperature egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar. Using an electric mixer, beat on medium speed until the mixture is frothy. Add the vanilla extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
- Form Stiff Peaks: Increase the mixer speed to high and beat until soft peaks form, which should take about 2 to 4 minutes. With the mixer still running, gradually add the powdered sugar and continue to beat for about 2 more minutes, until the mixture forms stiff, glossy peaks.
- Fold in the Flour: Sprinkle the cake flour over the egg white mixture. Using a large rubber spatula, gently fold the flour into the meringue until just incorporated. Be careful not to overmix and deflate the batter.
- Bake the Cake: Carefully spoon the batter into the ungreased 10-inch nonstick angel food cake pan and smooth the top. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool the Cake Upside Down: Immediately invert the pan onto a wire rack (or over the neck of a bottle) and let it cool completely upside down, for about 1 hour. This is a crucial step to prevent the cake from collapsing.
- Make the Sauce: While the cake cools, whisk together the yogurt, honey, and lemon juice in a small bowl until smooth.
- Unmold and Serve: Once the cake is completely cool, use a spatula to loosen it from the sides and center tube of the pan. Invert the cake onto a serving plate. Serve slices drizzled with the lemon honey yogurt sauce and garnished with extra lemon zest and fresh mint sprigs.
Recipe Tips
- How do I get the most volume from my egg whites? For the fluffiest meringue, make sure your egg whites are at room temperature and that your mixing bowl and beaters are completely clean and free of any grease. The cream of tartar also helps to stabilize the egg whites, so don’t skip it.
- Why do I have to cool the cake upside down? Angel food cake has a very delicate, airy structure. Cooling it upside down uses gravity to stretch the cake and prevent its fragile structure from collapsing in on itself as it cools, ensuring a tall, light cake.
- How do I fold in the flour without deflating the meringue? Use a large spatula and a gentle hand. Cut down through the middle of the batter, scrape along the bottom of the bowl, and lift and fold the batter over on itself. Rotate the bowl and repeat until no streaks of flour remain.
- Why is the angel food cake pan left ungreased? The light, airy batter needs to “climb” up the sides of the pan as it bakes to achieve its signature height. Greasing the pan would cause the batter to slip back down.
What To Serve With Angel Food Cake
While the lemon honey yogurt sauce is a perfect pairing, this cake is also wonderful with:
- A big bowl of fresh berries, like strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries
- A simple dusting of powdered sugar
- A dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream
- A scoop of fruit sorbet
How To Store Angel Food Cake
Room Temperature: Store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Keep the sauce in a separate container in the refrigerator. Freeze: You can freeze the unfrosted, unsauced cake. Wrap it tightly in a layer of plastic wrap and a layer of foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
Angel Food Cake with Lemon Honey Yogurt Sauce Nutrition Facts
- Serving: 1 slice (of 12)
- Calories: 210kcal
- Protein: 6g
- Fat: 2g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Sugar: 32g
- Sodium: 140mg
Nutrition information is estimated and may vary based on ingredients and cooking methods used.
FAQs
Angel food cake is a type of sponge cake that is made without any fat (no butter, oil, or egg yolks). It gets all of its lift from whipped egg whites, which makes it incredibly light, airy, and naturally fat-free.
This can happen for a few reasons: the egg whites were under-whipped and didn’t form stiff enough peaks; the flour was over-mixed, deflating the batter; or the cake was not cooled completely while upside down.
You can, but the texture will not be as light and tender. Cake flour has a lower protein content, which results in a much softer, more delicate crumb. If you must substitute, for every cup of all-purpose flour, remove 2 tablespoons and replace it with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch.
Try More Recipes:
- Mini Toasted Strawberry Shortcakes Recipe
- Basque Cake with Cherry Preserves Recipe
- Gingerbread Jars with Cranberry Curd Recipe
Angel Food Cake with Lemon Honey Yogurt Sauce Recipe
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy12
servings20
minutes40
minutes210
kcalincredibly light, fluffy, and airy homemade angel food cake with a hint of lemon, served with a simple and tangy lemon honey yogurt sauce.
Ingredients
12 egg whites, room temperature
1 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup cake flour
1 tsp vanilla extract & 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp lemon zest
For Sauce: 1 cup plain yogurt, 1/4 cup honey, 1 tbsp lemon juice
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Do not grease a 10-inch angel food cake pan.
- Beat egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar until frothy. Add extracts and zest and beat to soft peaks.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar and beat until stiff, glossy peaks form.
- Gently fold the cake flour into the meringue in two or three additions.
- Spoon the batter into the ungreased pan and bake for 30-40 minutes until golden.
- Immediately invert the pan onto a wire rack and let it cool completely, upside down, for 1 hour.
- While the cake cools, whisk together all sauce ingredients.
- Once cool, unmold the cake and serve slices with the lemon honey yogurt sauce.
Notes
- Using an ungreased pan is essential, as the cake batter needs to cling to the sides to rise to its full height.
- Cooling the cake completely while it is upside down is a crucial step to prevent the delicate cake from collapsing.
- For the highest, fluffiest cake, ensure your egg whites are at room temperature and your mixing bowl is completely clean and free of any fat.
- Fold the flour in gently with a spatula, not a whisk, to avoid deflating the delicate egg white foam.
