Angel food cupcakes are the cupcake version of the famous angel food cake. Like angel food cake, the cupcakes are light and airy, made by incorporating beaten egg whites into the batter. They are perfect for a summer treat or any time that you are in the mood for a lighter dessert.
Angel food cake is part of a group of cakes called foam cakes. Foam cakes are composed of flour, sugar, eggs, and flavoring. They contain no chemical leavening agents.
Chiffon cake falls into this category, as does tres leches cake (which is essentially a chiffon cake soaked in three milks). See my post on angel food cake vs chiffon cake for more on this subject.
In both cake and cupcake format, angel food is sweet and spongy and wonderful when served with fresh fruit.
How to Make Angel Food Cupcakes
There are four tricks to making angel food cupcakes as light as they possibly can be.
- The first is using superfine sugar. Superfine sugar is, just as the name implies, a very finely ground sugar. Because it is so fine, it helps to keep the cupcakes nice and light. If you don’t want to buy a a whole package of superfine sugar, you can grind regular granulated sugar in a food processor for a few minutes to create your own superfine sugar.
- The next trick is to use cake flour instead of all-purpose flour. As a general rule, it’s always a good idea to use cake flour when you want a lighter cupcake. I use cake flour in my vanilla cupcakes for that very reason. If you don’t have cake flour, you can substitute with all-purpose flour, but the cupcakes will be a little more dense.
- Whipping the egg whites to medium peaks is also really important for an airy cupcake. At medium peaks, the egg whites will look like fluffy white clouds. They should not be glossy like stiff peaks. Using cream of tartar helps the egg whites hold their shape.
- Finally, it is very important to GENTLY fold the flour mixture into the beaten egg whites. Never use an electric mixer to add the flour mixture at risk of deflating the egg whites.
How to Decorate Angel Food Cupcakes
Topping angel food cupcakes with whipped cream is an absolute must!
But, beyond that, there is a lot of room for variation. I like to top mine with strawberries (or even strawberry whipped cream), other berries, or even pineapple slices.
If you want to play up the idea of the angel in angel food cupcakes, you can even give your cupcakes angel wings made of cookies. You can find the cookie cutters on Amazon. If you try this idea, don’t put the cookies on the cupcakes until just before serving, otherwise they will collapse.
Angel Food Cupcake Variations
- Add the zest of one lemon to the recipe for lemon angel food cupcakes.
- Try a chocolate version like this chocolate angel food cake from Also the Crumbs Please.
- Mix sprinkles into the batter to make funfetti angel food cupcakes like Cooking Classy does with her funfetti angel food cake.
Angel Food Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcake Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups superfine sugar
- 1 cup cake flour not self-rising
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 12 egg whites room temperature
- 1/3 cup warm water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
Vanilla Whipped Cream Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- berries optional
Instructions
Cupcake Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine one cup of the sugar with the cake flour and salt.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk egg whites, water, vanilla extract, and cream of tartar until frothy.
- Slowly mix in the remaining 3/4 cup of sugar.
- Keep beating until the mixture looks like a fluffy white cloud (medium peaks).
- Dust the top of the foam with a little bit of the flour mixture and, using a spatula, gently fold it in.
- Continue adding flour and gently folding it in until all of the flour mixture is incorporated.
- Fill cupcake liners almost all of the way to the top.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until cupcakes bounce back when lightly touched.
Vanilla Whipped Cream Frosting Instructions
- Whip heavy whipping cream until it looks like whipped cream.
- Mix in vanilla extract and sugar until just combined.
- Pipe or spread onto cooled cupcakes.
- Optionally, top with fresh berries.
Notes
- If you don't want to buy a a whole package of superfine sugar, you can grind regular granulated sugar in a food processor for a few minutes to create your own superfine sugar.
- If you don't have cake flour, you can substitute with all-purpose flour, but the cupcake will be a little more dense.
- Finally, it is very important to GENTLY fold the flour mixture into the beaten egg whites. Never use an electric mixer to add the flour mixture at risk of deflating the egg whites.
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