Homemade Raspberry And Cream Angel Food Cake

I used to think angel food cake was too fancy for someone like me to make from scratch. It seemed like one of those desserts you only got at bakeries or special occasions. My mom always bought the store-bought version, and I figured that was just how it worked.

But here’s the thing about angel food cake—it’s actually pretty forgiving once you know the basics. The key is just being gentle with the batter and not overthinking it. Add some fresh raspberries and cream, and you’ve got a dessert that looks like you spent hours on it, even though it’s really quite simple.

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What Kind of Egg Whites Should I Use?

For angel food cake, you’ll want to use fresh egg whites rather than carton egg whites if possible, as they whip up better and create more volume. Make sure your eggs are at room temperature before you start – this helps them whip faster and achieve those perfect peaks you need for a light, airy cake. If you forget to take them out ahead of time, you can place the whole eggs in a bowl of warm water for about 10 minutes to bring them to temperature quickly. The most important thing is making sure your bowl and beaters are completely clean and free of any grease or yolk, since even a tiny bit can prevent the whites from whipping properly.

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Options for Substitutions

While angel food cake can be a bit finicky, there are still some swaps you can make if needed:

• Egg whites: Fresh egg whites work best for this recipe, but you can use carton egg whites if that’s what you have. Just make sure they’re at room temperature for the best volume when whipping.
• Cream of tartar: If you’re out of cream of tartar, you can substitute with 2 teaspoons of lemon juice or white vinegar per teaspoon of cream of tartar. This helps stabilize the egg whites.
• Caster sugar: Regular granulated sugar works fine – just pulse it in a food processor for 30 seconds to make it finer, or use it as-is for a slightly different texture.
• Mascarpone: You can replace mascarpone with cream cheese that’s been softened and whipped with 2-3 tablespoons of heavy cream to make it lighter and smoother.
• Single cream: Heavy whipping cream works perfectly here. If you only have milk, you can make a lighter version, but the texture won’t be quite as rich.
• Raspberry jam: Any berry jam works great – strawberry, blackberry, or mixed berry. You could even use fresh berries mashed with a bit of sugar if you prefer.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake when making angel food cake is getting even a tiny bit of egg yolk in your whites, which will prevent them from whipping up properly – make sure your bowl and beaters are completely clean and grease-free too.

Another common error is overbeating the egg whites past the soft peak stage, as this can cause your cake to collapse, so stop mixing once you see those beautiful peaks that hold their shape but still look glossy.

When folding in the flour and sugar mixture, resist the urge to stir vigorously – gentle folding motions will keep all that air you just whipped in, and remember to sift your flour beforehand to avoid lumps.

Finally, never grease your angel food cake pan since the batter needs to cling to the sides to rise properly, and always cool the cake upside down to maintain its light, airy texture.

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What to Serve With Raspberry and Cream Angel Food Cake?

This light and airy cake is pretty perfect on its own, but I love serving it with fresh berries like strawberries, blueberries, or extra raspberries to play up those fruity flavors. A cup of coffee or black tea makes a great pairing since the cake is quite sweet and rich from all that mascarpone and cream. If you want to make it extra special for guests, try adding a small scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream on the side. For a fun brunch twist, this cake also works beautifully alongside fresh fruit salad or even as part of a dessert spread with other light treats.

Storage Instructions

Keep Fresh: This angel food cake is best enjoyed within 2-3 days of making it. Store it covered in the refrigerator since it has cream and mascarpone that need to stay cold. I like to tent it loosely with plastic wrap or keep it in a cake dome to protect the fluffy texture.

Make Ahead: You can bake the angel food cake base up to 2 days ahead and keep it wrapped at room temperature. Just wait to add the cream and raspberry layers until the day you plan to serve it. This actually makes the whole process much more manageable for entertaining!

Serve: Take the cake out of the fridge about 15-20 minutes before serving to let it come to the perfect temperature. The cream will be perfectly creamy and the cake won’t be too cold. Any leftover slices should go right back in the fridge and will keep for another day or two.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 3800-4200
• Protein: 75-90 g
• Fat: 120-140 g
• Carbohydrates: 600-650 g

Ingredients

For the cake layers:

• 12 egg whites, room temperature
• 1 tsp cream of tartar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract, divided
• 1 1/4 cups superfine sugar, divided
• 1 cup all-purpose flour

For the cream and jam filling:

• 2 cups mascarpone
• 1 1/2 cups pouring cream
• 1 cup prepared raspberry preserves

For the Italian meringue topping:

• 1/3 cup water
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 2 cups superfine sugar, divided
• 150 ml egg whites (about 4 eggs)

Step 1: Prepare the Angel Food Cake Batter

• 12 egg whites, room temperature
• 1 tsp cream of tartar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract, divided (use 1 tsp in this step)
• 1 1/4 cups superfine sugar, divided (use 3/4 cup in this step)

Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).

In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk 12 egg whites and 1 teaspoon cream of tartar on high speed until soft peaks form.

Gradually add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 3/4 cup of superfine sugar while whisking, continuing until the mixture becomes thick and glossy.

Transfer the egg white mixture to a large bowl.

Step 2: Sift and Fold in Dry Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups superfine sugar, divided (use remaining 1/2 cup in this step)

In a separate bowl, sift together 1 cup of all-purpose flour and the remaining 1/2 cup superfine sugar.

Sift this mixture twice more for extra lightness, then sift it over the egg white mixture.

Gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg whites until just combined, being careful not to deflate the batter.

Spoon the batter into an ungreased angel food cake tin and smooth the top.

Step 3: Bake, Cool, and Slice the Cake

Bake the cake for about 30 minutes, or until it begins to come away from the sides of the tin.

Immediately invert the cake tin and set it aside to cool for 1 hour.

Once cooled, use a butter knife to loosen the cake edges and twist the center funnel to remove.

Slice the cake horizontally into 3 even layers using a serrated knife.

I always let the cake completely cool upside down in the tin—it helps keep its airy texture!

Step 4: Prepare Mascarpone Cream and Assemble the Layers

• 2 cups mascarpone
• 1 1/2 cups pouring cream
• 2 tsp vanilla extract, divided (use remaining 1 tsp in this step)
• 1 cup prepared raspberry preserves

In an electric mixer, combine the mascarpone, pouring cream, and the remaining 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Whisk until stiff peaks form.

Place one cake layer on a stand, spread half the raspberry preserves over the layer, then top with half the mascarpone cream.

Repeat with another cake layer, the rest of the preserves, and mascarpone cream, finishing with the final cake layer on top.

Step 5: Make Italian Meringue

• 1/3 cup water
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 2 cups superfine sugar, divided (use 1 cup in syrup, 1 cup in meringue)
• 150 ml egg whites (about 4 eggs)

In a small saucepan, combine 1/3 cup water, 1/2 tsp cream of tartar, and 1 cup superfine sugar.

Stir over high heat until the sugar dissolves, then bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat and boil for 4 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk 150ml egg whites (about 4 eggs) on high speed in a clean mixer bowl until stiff peaks form.

Slowly add the remaining 1 cup superfine sugar, one tablespoon at a time, until thick and glossy.

Then, with the mixer running, gradually pour the hot syrup into the egg whites in a thin stream and continue whisking for 4 more minutes until the meringue is shiny and holds stiff peaks.

For extra stability, I like to keep whisking until the bowl feels cool to the touch.

Step 6: Frost Cake with Italian Meringue and Serve

Spread the Italian meringue evenly over the assembled cake, covering the top and sides as desired.

Serve the cake immediately, or refrigerate for up to two hours before serving for neat slices.

To get those beautiful swirls on the meringue, I like using the back of a spoon to create soft peaks all over the cake.

Homemade Raspberry And Cream Angel Food Cake

Delicious Homemade Raspberry And Cream Angel Food Cake recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 24 minutes mins

Cook Time 48 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 12 minutes mins

Servings 4

Calories 4000 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the cake layers:

• 12 egg whites, room temperature
• 1 tsp cream of tartar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract, divided
• 1 1/4 cups superfine sugar, divided
• 1 cup all-purpose flour

For the cream and jam filling:

• 2 cups mascarpone
• 1 1/2 cups pouring cream
• 1 cup prepared raspberry preserves

For the Italian meringue topping:

• 1/3 cup water
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 2 cups superfine sugar, divided
• 150 ml egg whites (about 4 eggs)

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk 12 egg whites and 1 teaspoon cream of tartar on high speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 3/4 cup of superfine sugar while whisking, continuing until the mixture becomes thick and glossy. Transfer the egg white mixture to a large bowl.
• In a separate bowl, sift together 1 cup of all-purpose flour and the remaining 1/2 cup superfine sugar. Sift this mixture twice more for extra lightness, then sift it over the egg white mixture. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg whites until just combined, being careful not to deflate the batter. Spoon the batter into an ungreased angel food cake tin and smooth the top.
• Bake the cake for about 30 minutes, or until it begins to come away from the sides of the tin. Immediately invert the cake tin and set it aside to cool for 1 hour. Once cooled, use a butter knife to loosen the cake edges and twist the center funnel to remove. Slice the cake horizontally into 3 even layers using a serrated knife. I always let the cake completely cool upside down in the tin—it helps keep its airy texture!
• In an electric mixer, combine the mascarpone, pouring cream, and the remaining 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Whisk until stiff peaks form. Place one cake layer on a stand, spread half the raspberry preserves over the layer, then top with half the mascarpone cream. Repeat with another cake layer, the rest of the preserves, and mascarpone cream, finishing with the final cake layer on top.
• In a small saucepan, combine 1/3 cup water, 1/2 tsp cream of tartar, and 1 cup superfine sugar. Stir over high heat until the sugar dissolves, then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and boil for 4 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk 150ml egg whites (about 4 eggs) on high speed in a clean mixer bowl until stiff peaks form. Slowly add the remaining 1 cup superfine sugar, one tablespoon at a time, until thick and glossy. Then, with the mixer running, gradually pour the hot syrup into the egg whites in a thin stream and continue whisking for 4 more minutes until the meringue is shiny and holds stiff peaks. For extra stability, I like to keep whisking until the bowl feels cool to the touch.
• Spread the Italian meringue evenly over the assembled cake, covering the top and sides as desired. Serve the cake immediately, or refrigerate for up to two hours before serving for neat slices. To get those beautiful swirls on the meringue, I like using the back of a spoon to create soft peaks all over the cake.