Sourdough angel food cake is a light, cloud-like cake made from scratch with sourdough starter, whipped egg whites, and just enough sweetness, creating the perfect airy base for strawberry shortcake or any fresh-fruit topping.
Quick Recipe Overview: Angel Food Cake for Strawberry Shortcake
⏱️ Ready In: ~1 hour
🍽️ Serves: 10–12
🔥 Calories: ~300 per serving
🧺 Main Ingredients: egg whites, sugar, flour, vanilla
🥗 Dietary Info: naturally fat-free cake (no butter or oil)
❤️ Why You’ll Love It: Angel food cake is light, airy, and perfectly balanced, making it the ideal from-scratch base for strawberry shortcake or any fresh-fruit dessert.
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“This was one of my favorite childhood desserts, the from scratch version is top notch!!” – Steph
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Light and airy texture: Classic angel food cake crumb with a soft, cloud-like lift.
- Naturally fat-free: No butter or oil, making it lighter than traditional cakes.
- Perfect for shortcake: The ideal base for strawberries, whipped cream, and other fresh fruit.
If you love strawberries desserts – check out my sourdough strawberry bread and these sourdough strawberry cinnamon rolls. These recipes use simple ingredients and are perfect for Valentine’s Day dessert ideas, summertime, or any time you want something light and sweet!
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Key Ingredients
Precise measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Egg whites – Whipped to stiff peaks to create the signature light, airy angel food texture.
- Sugar – Sweetens the cake and stabilizes the whipped egg whites. I haven’t tried substituting other sweeteners, but I would expect a denser texture with other sweeteners like maple syrup or honey.
- Flour – I buy organic, unbleached flour and grain in bulk from Azure Standard.
- Cream of tartar – Helps stabilize the egg whites for maximum volume and lift.
Step by Step Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a medium bowl, sift 1 cup of powdered sugar with flour and salt, and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk egg whites, water, vanilla extract, and cream of tartar on low for a minute, then sift in the remaining ¾ cup powdered sugar and whisk at medium speed until medium peaks form.
- Slowly sift and fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture.
- Spoon the batter into an ungreased loaf or tube pan.
- Bake at 350F for 35 minutes.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 1 hour before turning out and serving.
Sourdough Angel Food Cake FAQs
Angel food cake is a light, airy, naturally fat-free cake made with whipped egg whites.
Yes, angel food cake should be baked in an ungreased tube or angel food cake pan so the batter can cling to the sides and rise properly.
Angel food cake can collapse if the egg whites are underwhipped, overmixed, or if the cake is not cooled upside down. Cooling inverted helps preserve the cake’s structure.
Store angel food cake covered at room temperature for up to 24 hours. For longer storage, wrap slices tightly and freeze for up to 2 months.
Expert Tips
- Clean equipment matters: Any grease or yolk will prevent egg whites from whipping properly—wipe bowls and beaters clean before starting.
- Room-temperature egg whites: They whip to a greater volume and create a lighter cake.
- Don’t overmix: Gently fold the dry ingredients and sourdough discard to avoid deflating the batter.
- Use an ungreased pan: The batter needs to cling to the sides to rise tall and bake evenly.
- Cool upside down: Invert the pan immediately after baking to prevent the cake from collapsing.
- Slice carefully: Use a serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion to keep the crumb fluffy.
Storage
- Room temperature: Store covered at room temperature for up to 24 hours for the best texture.
- Refrigerator: Not recommended, as refrigeration can dry out angel food cake.
- Freezer: Wrap slices tightly and freeze for up to 2 months; thaw at room temperature before serving.
More From Scratch Desserts to Try
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Angel Food Cake for Strawberry Shortcake
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a medium bowl, sift 1 cup of powdered sugar with flour and salt, and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk egg whites, water, vanilla extract, and cream of tartar on low for a minute, then sift in the remaining ¾ cup powdered sugar and whisk at medium speed until medium peaks form.
- Slowly sift and fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture.
- Spoon the batter into an ungreased loaf or tube pan.
- Bake at 350°F for 35 minutes.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 1 hour before turning out and serving.
- Add all whipped cream ingredients to a large mixing bowl and beat with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form, then serve with cooled angelfood cake.
Nutrition
Notes
- Pan matters: Use an ungreased tube or angel food cake pan so the batter can cling and rise properly.
- Egg whites: Make sure egg whites are at room temperature and completely free of yolk or fat for the best volume.
- Cooling: Cool the cake upside down in the pan to prevent collapsing.
- Serving: Best served the same day, but can be stored covered at room temperature for up to 24 hours.
- Freezing: Wrap slices tightly and freeze for up to 2 months; thaw at room temperature before serving.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!About the Author
Welcome to Hopewell Heights, I’m Steph – seasoned sourdough baker, homesteader, homemaker, homeschooling mom of 5, and creator behind this Heritage American food blog. I hope you enjoy my family’s favorite, from-scratch recipes!
This was one of my favorite childhood desserts, the from scratch sourdough version is top notch!!