For The Absolute Fluffiest Angel Food Cake, Use This Type Of Flour

Angel food cake was named for the fact it's as light and fluffy as the feathers of an angel's wing, but that's only true if you bake it the right way. In order to have your cake come out right, chef-turned-entrepreneur Vivian Villa feels it's absolutely necessary to use cake flour. Villa, founder of Villa's Authentic Sauces and the culinary force behind UnButter, told The Takeout, "Cake flour is the preferred choice for baked items where the end result is light, fluffy, and tender due to the lower gluten content." While cake flour is good, she feels that bleaching makes it even better. "Bleached cake flour takes it one step further, as the process further breaks down the gluten, yielding an even lighter, fluffier product."

While bleached cake flour can be used to make any kind of cake, the results are especially noticeable if the batter is pale. "Angel food cake in particular benefits from bleached cake flour as it yields a lighter, fluffier white cake due to the bleaching process," said Villa. The term lighter, she pointed out, refers not just to the cake's texture, but also to its color.

If you don't have any cake flour on hand (bleached or otherwise), you can make it yourself with a couple of pantry ingredients. All you need to do is replace 2 tablespoons per 1 cup of all-purpose flour with cornstarch, rice flour, or tapioca flour. As Villa explained, "These act to inhibit gluten formation." She advises sifting the flour after adding the extra ingredient to make sure the blend is thoroughly combined and doesn't have any lumps.

Many angel food cake recipes don't call for baking powder, but Villa recommends it. "Baking powder, when combined with wet ingredients, produces gas bubbles which cause the cake to rise." She says it works together with the egg whites and acid in the cake recipe. Some versions call for cream of tartar (you don't need to go out and buy it since lemon juice or distilled white vinegar will also work), but Villa suggests including some water drained from a carton of yogurt as well.

Yet another tip from Villa is to bake angel food cake in a water bath (also known as a bain-marie). This is done, she said, "to ensure even baking, which is essential in ovens with hot spots." If you're baking a cake in a springform pan and can't use a water bath, she recommends soaking a towel in water and wrapping it around the pan. Be sure to check it periodically, however, since if the cloth dries out in the oven, it can become a fire hazard.