Tillie Doyle
Angel food cake is a light, fluffy, and delicate dessert made from whipped egg whites. It is traditionally baked in a tube pan, which has a tunnel or hole in the centre to create a ring shape. This unique shape allows for greater heat flow, ensuring the cake cooks evenly and rises properly. While a tube pan is ideal, it is not necessary. Home bakers have successfully used loaf pans, Bundt pans, and even cupcake pans to bake angel food cake. However, it is important to note that the cake batter needs to stick to the pan to rise properly, so the pan should not be greased or lined with parchment paper. Additionally, a simple trick to create the tube pan structure involves using a beverage can, parchment paper, and a round cake pan.
Can I reuse an angel food cake pan?
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Pan type | A tube pan with a tunnel or hole in the centre is traditional, but angel food cake can be made in other pans, such as a loaf pan or a Bundt pan. |
| Pan coating | The pan should not be non-stick or greased, as the batter needs to cling to the sides of the pan as the cake rises. |
| Pan diameter | The pan should have the same diameter as the recipe specifies. |
| Sides | The sides of the pan should be removable. |
| Cooling | The cake should be inverted while cooling to maintain volume. |
| Removal | A spatula or butter knife can be used to separate the cake from the pan. |
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What You'll Learn
Using a Bundt pan
Angel food cakes are traditionally baked in a tube pan, which has a hole in the centre to allow for greater heat flow, helping the cake cook evenly and rise properly. However, some bakers have used a Bundt pan with good results.
A Bundt pan has a hole in the centre, but its decorative grooves may make it difficult to remove the cake. It is also smaller in volume than a typical angel food pan, which is 10 x 10 x 4 inches with an extra inch in the centre, and flat-sided.
To use a Bundt pan for an angel food cake, preheat your oven to 325°F. Lightly grease a 10-inch Bundt pan. In a medium bowl, sift together cake flour and powdered sugar. In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat egg whites with cream of tartar and salt until soft peaks form. With the mixer running on low, slowly add vanilla and granulated sugar, increasing speed and whisking until stiff peaks form. Fold in the sifted cake and sugar mixture. Spread the batter into an even layer in the prepared Bundt cake pan. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack. When cooled, invert the cake onto a serving tray or cake stand.
To remove the cake from the pan, run an offset spatula or a butter knife around the bottom of the cake to release it from the base.
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Using a loaf pan
Angel food cake is traditionally baked in a tube pan, which is a one-use specialty pan. However, you can bake it in a loaf pan if you don't have a tube pan.
To make angel food cake in a loaf pan, you will need a standard 9×5 loaf pan. It is important to use a regular pan and not a non-stick pan. The cake needs to stick to the sides of the pan to rise properly. Therefore, do not grease the pan or line it with parchment paper.
To make the cake, preheat the oven to 325°F. Sift together 1/4 cup sugar, flour, and cornstarch. In a clean bowl with no trace of fat, beat the egg whites, vinegar, vanilla, and salt on medium speed until foamy, about 30 seconds. Increase the speed to high and gradually beat in the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, while the mixer runs. Beat until soft peaks form, about 3-4 minutes. Do not beat until stiff peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the flour mixture, 1/4 at a time, into the egg whites. Make sure there is no dry flour left. Transfer the batter to the loaf pan and spread it evenly.
After baking, it is important to invert the angel food cake loaf while cooling to help maintain its volume. If you cool it right-side up, gravity will cause the cake to deflate. Traditional tube pans are designed to sit upside down while loaf pans are not. However, you can achieve a similar setup by resting each end of the pan on top of two jars or canned items to keep the cake slightly elevated and upside down. Cool the cake for about 1 hour before removing it from the pan. To remove the cake from the loaf pan, run a butter knife around the edges of the cake a few times. Next, lay the pan on one side with the cake facing you. Run your knife around the edges again and gently pull until the cake slides out.
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Using a cupcake pan
Angel food cakes are unique in that they always come in the same size and shape, and recipes call for a specific pan. A 9- or 10-inch tube pan with a removable bottom is standard. The tube design, with its hollow core in the centre, allows heat to reach the entire cake evenly. This ensures the outside edge is not overdone before the centre is cooked.
However, it is possible to make smaller versions of angel food cakes in cupcake pans. When using a cupcake pan, it is important to note that the pan should have smooth sides and be of a smaller size. The pan should also have removable sides. Additionally, the sides of the pan must be straight and should not be made of a non-stick material. This is because the cake needs to grip the pan and pull itself up as it rises.
When baking angel food cupcakes, it is recommended to use paper cupcake liners, especially for mini cupcakes, as they can be difficult to remove from the pan without them. The cupcakes will come out more easily after running a spatula around the sides of the pan.
It is also important to note that the amount of batter used may need to be adjusted when using a cupcake pan instead of a standard angel food cake pan. Fill the cupcake pan no more than two-thirds full with batter.
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Using a drink can and parchment paper
Angel food cake is a light and fluffy cake that gets its airy texture from whipped egg whites. It typically calls for a tube pan, but you can also bake it in a standard loaf pan or a bundt pan. If you don't have any of these pans, you can create your own angel food cake pan using a drink can and parchment paper. Here's how:
First, find an empty tall skinny drink can, such as a LaCroix or Spindrift can. This will act as the centre tube of your angel food cake pan. Then, take a square of parchment paper and fold it into quarters. Fold this quarter into a triangle and place the centre point of the triangle in the middle of your pan. Cut the end of the parchment in an arc along the side of the pan. Place the drink can in the centre and trace around it. Fold the round in half and cut a slit from the folded edge to the traced circle. Unfold the parchment round and place it over the can, ensuring that the points of the starburst are pointing up. Secure the parchment with a piece of double-stick tape so that it overlaps slightly. Trim away any excess paper.
Filling the Pan:
Fill the cake pan no more than two-thirds full with batter. The batter will cling to the sides of the pan as it rises, so it's important not to use a non-stick coating or parchment paper lining in the pan. The pan should have removable sides and be the same diameter as specified in your recipe.
Cooling and Removing the Cake:
After baking, turn the cake pan over a sink and gently shake to release the can. Return the can to the centre and turn the cake upside down until completely cool. This will take about an hour. The cake will be propped up by the can, which should be higher than the sides of the pan. Once cool, turn the cake right-side-up and gently lift the can out of the pan, leaving the parchment behind. Run a thin knife around the edges of the cake to release it from the pan, then gently pull until the cake slides out.
By using this method, you can create an angel food cake pan without the need for a specialised tube pan.
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Removing the cake from the pan
Angel food cake is usually baked in a tube pan, which has a hole in the centre, creating a ring-shaped cake. This hole provides added structure to support the rising of the egg-white-heavy batter. The cake rises and sticks to the sides of the pan as it bakes, so it is important not to grease the pan or line it with parchment paper.
To remove the cake from a tube pan, run a cake spatula around the sides of the pan to release the cake. You can also use an offset spatula to release the cake from the base of the pan.
If you are baking an angel food cake in a loaf pan, it is important to invert the cake while cooling to help keep its volume. To do this, rest each end of the pan on top of two jars or canned items so that the cake is slightly elevated and upside down. Cool the cake for 1 hour before removing it from the pan. To remove the cake from a loaf pan, run a butter knife around the edges of the cake a few times. Next, lay the pan on one side with the cake facing you. Run your knife around the edges again and gently pull until the cake slides out.
If you are using a Bundt pan, be aware that the decorative grooves may make it difficult to remove the cake.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can reuse an angel food cake pan.
An angel food cake pan is a type of cake pan with a hole in the centre, creating a ring shape. This hole provides added structure to support the rising of the egg-white-heavy cake batter.
Angel food cake pans are typically made of metal, such as aluminium or steel, and have a non-stick coating.
No, it is not recommended to put an angel food cake pan in the dishwasher. It is best to wash it by hand with warm, soapy water and a soft sponge or cloth.
Here are some tips for reusing an angel food cake pan:
- Allow the pan to cool completely before removing the cake.
- Run an offset spatula or butter knife around the edges of the pan to release the cake gently.
- Wash and dry the pan thoroughly before reusing it.
- Avoid using metal utensils or abrasive cleaning pads as they can scratch the non-stick coating.
