Lemon Angel Food Cake Recipe

This Lemon Angel Food Cake Recipe is a light and airy recipe, which is made with cake flour and egg whites. It’s a classic, foolproof recipe, ready in about 2 hours and 30 minutes.

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Lemon Angel Food Cake Recipe Ingredients

For the Lemon Confit:

• 2 large lemons
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups water

For the Cake:

• 1 1/8 cups sifted cake flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
• 1 1/2 cups egg whites, at room temperature (about 10 eggs)
• 1 1/4 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

For the Glaze:

• 5 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

How To Make Lemon Angel Food Cake Recipe

1. Make the Lemon Confit: First, prepare the garnish. Cut the peel and white pith from the lemons in 1-inch-wide strips. Cut these into long, thin strips (about 1/4-inch wide). Bring a saucepan of water to a boil, add the lemon rind, and boil for 30 seconds. Drain and rinse under cold water. Repeat this blanching process two more times. After the final blanching, combine 1 cup of sugar and 2 cups of water in the saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the blanched rind, reduce to a simmer, and cook for about 1 hour until tender. Drain and let the strips cool on a wire rack.
2. Prep Oven and Flour Mixture: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Sift the cake flour with 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar together three times to aerate it. Set aside.
3. Whip the Egg Whites: In the large, clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the room temperature egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and salt and continue whipping until soft peaks form.
4. Create the Meringue: With the mixer on medium speed, gradually add the remaining 1 cup of granulated sugar and continue whipping until the meringue is stiff, glossy, and the sugar is dissolved. Fold in the lemon zest and vanilla extract.
5. Fold in Flour and Bake: Gently fold the sifted flour-sugar mixture into the meringue in four batches. Pipe or spoon the batter into ungreased mini muffin tins. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until light golden brown.
6. Cool the Mini Cakes: Let the cakes cool in the pans for a few minutes, then run a knife along the edges to loosen them. Remove them from the pans and place them upside-down on a wire rack set over a sheet pan to cool completely.
7. Glaze and Garnish: While the cakes cool, whisk the lemon juice and powdered sugar together until a smooth glaze forms. Once the cakes are cool, pour the glaze over each one. Finely chop the cooled lemon confit and sprinkle it over the tops of the glazed cakes. Let the glaze set for 30 minutes before serving.

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 whisk are completely clean and free of any trace of grease or egg yolk.
• Why do I have to cool the cakes upside down? Angel food cake has a very delicate, airy structure. Even in mini form, cooling them upside down prevents their fragile structure from collapsing in on itself as they cool, ensuring a tall, light cake.
• Why are the muffin tins 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, resulting in dense, short cakes.
• How do I fold in the flour without deflating the batter? Be very gentle. Use a large spatula to cut down through the center of the meringue, scrape along the bottom of the bowl, and lift and fold the batter over on itself. Rotate the bowl and repeat this motion only until the streaks of flour disappear.

What To Serve With Lemon Angel Food Cake

These light-as-air mini cakes are a perfect canvas for fresh, simple toppings.

• A big bowl of fresh berries, like strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries.
• A dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream.
• A simple fruit coulis or raspberry sauce.
• A dusting of confectioners’ sugar if you skip the glaze.

How To Store Lemon Angel Food Cake

Room Temperature: Store the cakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. The glaze may become slightly sticky over time. Freeze: For best results, freeze the un-glazed cakes. Wrap them tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Let them thaw at room temperature before glazing.

Lemon Angel Food Cake Nutrition Facts

• Serving: 1 mini cake
• Calories: 120kcal
• Protein: 3g
• Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 27g
• Sugar: 22g
• Sodium: 90mg

Nutrition information is estimated and may vary based on ingredients and cooking methods used.

FAQs

Try More Recipes:

• Quick Lemon Cottage Cake Recipe
• Lemony Yogurt Pound Cake Recipe
• Angel Food Cake with Mangoes Recipe