An angel food cake is a simple cake made from 12 egg whites. It’s not too sweet and so light and airy. For this version of a pecan angel food cake, I stirred ground pecans into the batter. As this cake is generally less sweet, a browned butter glaze, which tastes buttery and sweet, is the perfect finishing touch.
In case you are not a big fan of a glazed cake, you can just enjoy it plain or serve it with some fruits, whipped cream or ice cream. I think it is really fantastic on its own, because the texture is so soft and tender. Especially when you prefer less sweet desserts, this cake is for you.
Tools & Equipment
- 25,4cm/10-cups tube pan
- Fine mesh strainer
- Food processor
- Medium bowl
- Medium saucepan
- Parchment paper
- Silicone spatula
- Small knife
- Stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment
- Whisk
- Wire rack
Recipe Tips
Egg Whites: You will need 12 egg whites for this recipe. You could use egg white substitute or egg whites from a carton, but I prefer to use fresh egg whites as they provide more volume. Separate the eggs the moment you take them out of the fridge as it is easier to separate them when they are still cold. Start about 1 hour before beating the egg whites so they are at room temperature, which is important.
Tube Pan: When making an angel food cake, this type of pan is essential. Do not use a regular bundt pan, as it would be very difficult to remove the cake in one piece. You need a pan with a flat base and straight sides. The structure and stability of your angel food cake requires this special shape. Do NOT grease the pan, because if you do, the batter will slide down the sides and won’t rise properly.
Cool Upside Down: When the cake comes out of the oven, it needs to be cooled upside down. My tube pan has small feet which makes it easy to cool the cake upside down. If your pan does not have feet, place the pan upside down on a wire rack or on top of a bottle and allow the cake to cool completely.
Directions – How to Make Pecan Angel Food Cake
Ingredients for the Cake
- Cake flour
- Cream of tartar
- Egg whites
- Granulated sugar
- Pecans
- Powdered sugar
- Salt
- Vanilla bean paste
- Vanilla butter aroma
- Vanilla extract
Make the Cake
Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F. In a food processor ground pecans. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer beat egg whites, cream of tartar, butter vanilla aroma, vanilla extract and vanilla bean paste on high speed until foamy, for about 30 seconds. Gradually add granulated sugar and continue beating on high speed until stiff peaks form, for about 2 minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, flour and salt. Stir in ground pecans. Carefully fold the flour mixture into the egg white mixture in thirds until well combined.
Spoon the batter into an ungreased 25,4cm/10-cup tube pan. Bake on the middle rack for about 35-40 minutes until the cake is golden brown.
Remove from the oven and immediately turn the pan upside down. Let cool completely. Run a knife along the outside and inside of the pan. Then run a knife along the bottom of the cake and release from the pan. Flip the cake over, as the bottom is now the top.
Ingredients for the Glaze
- Butter
- Powdered sugar
- Salt
Make the Glaze
Sift powdered sugar into a medium bowl. Add salt and whisk until combined. Melt butter over medium heat. Stir constantly until the butter has a medium brown color and a nutty aroma, for about 8 minutes.
Strain butter through a fine mesh strainer over sugar mixture. Whisk until smooth, then let cool for about 5 minutes.
Drizzle on top of the cake and garnish with some pecans, if desired. Let the glaze set in the fridge for about 30 minutes. Use a sharp serrated knife to slice the cake, a regular knife could squish your cake.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
Storage: You can make this pecan angel food cake 1 day ahead. Cover tightly and keep at room temperature overnight. Once you have finished the cake with the butter glaze, keep the cake in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezing Instructions: You can freeze the unglazed cake in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic in a ziplock bag for up to 3 months. It is possible to freeze a glazed cake, but this butter glaze may be crumbly after thawing. I have not tested this yet.
My Summary for Pecan Angel Food Cake
Difficulty: Simple.
Taste & Texture: Angel food cake is a super soft and tender cake that tastes slightly sweet and also nutty thanks to the addition of ground pecans. The browned butter glaze also has a nutty flavor and is rich and sweet, which complements the cake perfectly.
Time: Making the batter takes about 30 minutes. Baking time is about 35-40 minutes and afterwards the cake needs to cool upside down for at least 3 hours. Making the glaze takes about 15 minutes, then it needs to cool for 5 minutes before you use it. Once you have glazed the cake, place it in the fridge for 30 minutes to let the glaze set.
More Egg White Recipes
- Blueberry Angel Food Cake
- Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies
- Chocolate Hazelnut Cake
- Cinnamon Stars
- Matcha Marble Chiffon Cake
- Protein Berry Soufflé
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