Raspberry Angel Food Cake

Most angel food cakes get their fruit as a topping. This one folds fresh raspberries right into the batter, so every slice has bright pockets of berry running through the tall, airy crumb. It’s a small change that makes a big visual and flavor difference.

The base is classic angel food technique: ten egg whites whipped with cream of tartar to stiff peaks, sugar beaten in gradually, and cake flour sifted over the top and folded in gently. Vanilla and almond extract work together for a flavor that’s warmer and more complex than vanilla alone.

Sprinkling the berries over the sifted flour before folding means the flour coats them lightly, which helps prevent them from sinking straight to the bottom of the pan during baking. The whole cake is naturally fat-free since there’s no butter, oil, or egg yolks involved.

Pro Tips

• Use room-temperature egg whites. They whip to greater volume than cold ones, giving you a taller, lighter cake.
• Don’t grease the tube pan. Angel food cake needs to cling to the sides as it rises. Greasing causes it to collapse.
• Fold gently but thoroughly. Undermixing leaves pockets of dry flour, but overmixing deflates the whites and produces a dense, rubbery cake.
• Invert the pan immediately after baking and let it cool upside down for at least an hour. This prevents the cake from collapsing under its own weight.

Variations

• Mixed berry: Use a combination of raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries for a multi-berry version.
• Lemon raspberry: Add a tablespoon of lemon zest to the batter for a bright citrus-berry combination.