After much experimenting, I have finally perfected Keto Angel Food Cake! It’s light and airy, with the perfect angel food texture. It’s completely grain-free and dairy-free.
This keto angel food cake represents an absolute triumph for keto baking. Perfectly light and airy, sweet and delicious, just as real angel food cake should be.
I have to be very honest and say I was on the fence about publishing this recipe right now, given the current state of the world. But so many of you have written, asking me to keep doing what I do best, baking and sharing recipes. We need these little bright spots, perhaps now more than ever.
I am committed to bringing you other great keto recipes that help you make healthy and easy keto meals during this time of uncertainty as well. It won’t be all cakes and cookies and butterflies over here, I promise. Be sure to check out this collection of easy keto dinners if you need a little inspiration.
The perfect keto angel food cake
It took me a long time to get this right, my friends. A lot of attempts, a lot of failures, and a lot of research. And a lot of sunken, overly dense keto angel food cake.
It all tasted good, so rest assured that it was not wasted. We found good homes for the failed cakes. Most notably, in our bellies!
I have to admit, I was very close to giving up. But I then I had a major breakthrough when I made the Chiffon Cake in The Ultimate Guide to Keto Baking. After a few attempts on that cake, I got the proportions of flour and protein powder JUST right.
And I knew I had to give keto angel food cake one more try.
This cake truly is keto-friendly!
When I was doing research on how to make angel food cake, I came across a number of cakes that called themselves keto.
I have to admit, was aghast that they all took either arrowroot starch or tapioca starch. And not just a little, either. One recipe took a full cup of starch.
I knew it had to be possible to make it without any starch whatsoever. And turns out I was right!
How to make keto angel food cake
Even conventional angel food cake takes some effort to make properly. This is a good baking project when you have some time on your hands and are up for a challenge! A few important do’s and dont’s:
Don’t grease the pan
Angel food cake needs to “climb” the sides of the pan and greasing the sides interferes with this.
Do line the bottom with parchment
This is critical for the easy release of the cake once it has cooled. I have clear instructions about how to line a tube pan with parchment in the recipe notes.
Do consider weighing your dry ingredients
Accuracy is crucial for angel food cake recipes, which is why I provided the exact weights for my almond flour and protein powder.
Do use protein powder
Protein powder is part of what allows keto angel food cake to rise and have the proper structure. You will need it for this recipe and I recommend egg white protein. Whey protein should also work but I haven’t tested that out properly.
Do sift your flour mixture properly
Sifting the flour thoroughly helps the cake be lighter and fluffier. If you don’t have a good sieve for sifting, then spend some time fluffing up the flour mixture with a fork.
Don’t invert the cake pan right away
Traditional angel food cake has you inverting the pan the minute it comes out of the oven, to avoid heaviness at the bottom of the cake. But I found it was important to let the cake cool for 20 minutes before inverting it.
How to store keto angel food cake
One of the great parts about this cake is that it can be made ahead and frozen! Just be sure to wrap it up tightly. I have half of my last cake in there as I write this.
If you aren’t planning on freezing it, it’s fine on the counter for 4 days, covered. Place plastic wrap over any cut ends to keep them from drying out.
What to do with leftover egg yolks
I have many answers for that! Check out these 35 great keto recipes for leftover egg yolks.
You can also simply add a few extra yolks to an omelet or to my Easy Taco Pie. The yolks will keep in your fridge for 3 days or so. I store mine in glass jars.
Bon appetit! I hope you enjoy this recipe.
Perfect keto angel food cake! It's light and airy, with the perfect angel food texture. It's completely grain-free and dairy-free.
- 1/2 cup Swerve Granular
- 1/2 cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 1 3/4 cups almond flour (about 175g)
- 1/2 cup egg white protein powder (about 40g)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 10 large egg whites room temperature
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
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Place an oven rack in the second lowest position and preheat the oven to 325F. Line the bottom with parchment paper (see recipe notes). Do not grease the pan.
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In a medium bowl, whisk together the granular and powdered sweeteners.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, protein powder, half the sweetener mixture, and the salt. Use a sieve or strainer to sift the flour mixture into another large bowl. Do this back and forth between the bowls 3 times.
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If you do not have a sieve, simply use a fork to fluff up the mixture for several minutes, to break up clumps and make it lighter and airier.
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In another large bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until frothy. With the beaters running, slowly add the remaining sweetener until the whites hold medium peaks (the tips should flop over slightly when the beaters are lifted).
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Add the extracts and continue to beat until the whites hold stiff peaks (tips should stand up straight when beaters are lifted).
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In four separate additions, carefully fold the flour mixture into the egg whites until well combined (a large silicone spatula works best for this). Be sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl well to mix in any ingredients that may have settled there.
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Spread the batter in the prepared pan and smooth the top. Wipe off any drops of batter from the sides, and lightly tap the pan on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles.
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Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking, until the top is uniformly golden and springs back when lightly pressed.
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Remove and let cool in the pan 20 minutes, then turn the pan upside down and let cool completely.
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Run a sharp knife around the inside of the pan, and around the tube in the center, to loosen the cake. If the pan has a removable bottom, you can simply push up to release the cake. Otherwise, invert the pan over a cake plate and tap the bottom to release the cake.
To line the cake pan, you will need a 9-inch circle of parchment paper. Fold the paper in half and then in half again to create a cone. Cut enough out of the tip so that when it is opened, it first over the center of the tube pan. It does not need to be perfect.Ā
James Petrowicz says
Can we use dried egg whites?
Carolyn says
As long as it’s a powder you can mix into the almond flour and sift, you can! It’s essentially the same thing.
Faith says
Is that the same as Meringue powder that you put into royal icing? I have some whey protein powder, but have never seen the egg white powder. Keep posting recipes. Many of us are stuck at home for a few weeks and have time to try your new recipes out-as long as we have the ingredients already on hand!
Erica B says
Hi Faith, meringue powder is usually sweetened with a large amount of sugar, and wouldnāt be suitable for low-carb baking. Egg white powder is (usually) available on Amazon.com.
Judy says
Hiya! Can I use egg whites from a carton or must I break eggs? Thanks in advance for everything you do.
Carolyn says
Unfortunately, carton egg whites won’t work here as they don’t whip very well.
Eileen says
Do you have a cup measurement for the egg whites? In some recipes I’ve found that the amount varies by brand of egg as well as size. (For example, in your multipurpose bread recipe, you called for 8-10 egg whites, or 1-1/2 c. For me, that’s a full dozen eggs, so the cup reference was helpful).
Christina Hamilton says
I noticed that the brand of egg white powder you linked to also has sunflower lecithin in it. If I have egg white powder and sunflower lecithin separately should I add the lecithin to the recipe? If yes, how much? Thank you!
Carolyn says
I honestly don’t think you will need the lecithin. It’s the protein powder that really is key here. But if you do choose to add it, try only about 1/2 tsp.
Kathy says
Timely and too funny…today I was organizing my cupboards and had put my unused for YEARS Angle Food Cake Pan aside to be donated! I’m putting that puppy back to work! The recipe looks yummy. Thanks for all you do and share with us Carolyn š
Janet says
Saw your recipe and dug out my grandmother’s angel food pan that I had put away years ago. Now I can have angel food cake again. Just the recipe for now, when I have plenty of time at home. I am self isolating because the rest of my household works in the medical profession and we are all at greater risk. We decided on this course to avoid spreading the virus. Please keep posting your recipes, we all enjoy them and you. Good luck
Janet says
Forgot to mention, my grandmother always made custard to serve with her angel cakes, that used up a lot of those egg yolks. It was delicious. : )
Sandie Anderson says
Iām definitely getting an angel food cake pan for this! Thanks for putting in the weight in grams. Iād love it if you would do that for all your recipes. So much easier than measuring cups!! Thank you for all your delicious recipes! I recommend your website often.
Carolyn says
Not everyone has a kitchen scale and to be honest, cups are usually just fine for most recipes. But for your info if you are interested: almond flour is usually right around 100g per cup and coconut flour is 110g.
Elisa Simkovitz says
Is there anything I can substitute for the egg white protein? And, by the way, please keep sending out recipes because now that I am home all day I need things to do!
Carolyn says
Well, as I say in the blog post, I *think* that whey protein will work but I am not positive.
Sandy Dirks says
This recipe is fantastic! I used unflavored whey protein isolate and it has a fantastic texture. I will definitely make this again š
Erica B says
Thank you, Carolyn! My husband and I loved the finished cake. I made it on a whim, because I couldnāt get it out of my mind after you posted it.
I sheepishly admit that I canāt rate the recipe, because I made a ridiculous number of changes…I didnāt want to use fresh egg whites, so I used reconstituted powdered whites (about 3/4 cup powder and 15 oz water); I used a combination of sweeteners in place of the Swerve; I donāt own a tube pan, so I split the batter between two ungreased uncoated loaf pans; and because the button panel on my oven is still broken, I had to select a setting from one of the two working buttons: convection roast and pizza. Not wanting to intermittently broil the tops of my cakes, I decided that pizza was the best choice. (And because it makes the oven emit extra heat from the bottom, I left the rack closer to the center to compensate.) So at this point, my angel food cake was a mishmash of experiments and multiple variables. I figured it would come out edible at least, but I was amazed at just how edible it was. Itās fantasticājust a little too dense, almost certainly because I ended up with too much meringue (Iāll decrease the egg white powder and water when I make the meringue next time), but otherwise itās really good. My husband said it was one of the best low-carb imitations Iād ever made. All of that to say…if my crazy version came out that good, I can only imagine how great your recipe is when made properly. š Thank you!
Carolyn says
Well after all that, I am glad it worked out so well!
Erica B says
Oh, and I forgot to mention, it was raining outside while I made it. So, pretty much the most unlikely-to-succeed angel food cake ever. š Still enjoying it today.
Angela T says
Are there any alternatives for that special pan? Storage space is very limited in my kitchen, and I am not willing to buy a special pan for one thing but I LOVE Angel Food Cake!
Carolyn says
The tube pan is best because the centre tube helps it rise properly. But I do know some people make it in a springform pan… the centre may sink a bit more after baking, because it doesn’t have the metal to help cook it through. Worth a shot, though! I also think one commenter said she split the batter between two loaf pans.
Angela T says
Thanks for the tips!
Erica B says
Hi, Angela. I used two 5×9ā loaf pans (ungreased, uncoated, parchment on the bottom) and they worked well. My cakes did sink a bit after they came out of the oven, but I canāt say for sure that it was the fault of the pans (see my comment above yours for an explanation). The finished cakes arenāt the prettiest, but I also donāt want to buy another pan, and Iām not an Instagrammer, so these pans produce perfectly adequate angel food cake for us. š
Angela T says
Thank you, I will have to give that a try!
Sandra says
Can you use a Bundt pan instead?
Dianne says
Can I use a springform pan instead of an angel food cake pan, Iād lime to try using two 6ā springform pans?
Carolyn says
Hi Dianne, I think that would work okay but it may still be too much batter for those two small pans.
Susan says
This makes me so happy! My daughter and I love angel food cake. For her birthday, I always make a lemon angel food cake. (Just fold in lemon zest and serve with lemon curd.) Itās exciting to be able to make a healthier version. The other variation that Iāve made over the years is Paul Newmanās: fold in his grated chocolate orange bar. Now I can use your recipe, and fold in orange zest and grated Lilyās sugar free chocolate bar. Yeah! Youāve made my day!
Erica B says
Back to share the results of my second angel food cake attempt. This time I made the cakes on a clear day, so humidity didnāt interfere; I used 1/2 cup + 2 T powdered egg whites and about 13 oz water in place of fresh egg whites; I split the batter between my two 5×9ā loaf pans; and the standard bake button on my oven worked randomly today* so I got to bake them like the recipe actually instructs! They took about 40 minutes total, and sank just the slightest bit in the center. Theyāre excellent regardless, and I will make the recipe with these adjustments again and again. I really like not having to worry about 10 egg yolks, because I usually end up forgetting about them.
*I am getting my oven fixed soon. š My amazing husband is going to fix it as soon as the parts arrive.
MK says
Thank you for sharing this. Angel Food Cake is one of my husband’s favorites. Can’t wait to try it! ā¤
Kristin says
Wow! I finally made this today! All I can say is WOW! Delicious! I will definitely put this into my regular rotation! Thank you! I havenāt had angel food cake in 10 years!
Any chance you can create cream puffs?
Carolyn says
I am so happy to hear it!
Dawn says
Could Bochasweet be substituted for half of the swerve or would it change the texture too much?
Carolyn says
You know, I am not sure. I find it makes meringues way too soft (think… you can’t even get them off the pan, they are like gooey marshmallow). Not entirely sure what affect it would have on a cake like this.
cathy says
I made the cake today and used whey protein isolate (Iso pure), worked great. Oh, I also used room temperature carton egg whites. They whipped up very well. These subs were used cause that’s what I had on hand. The other thing had to sub was the swerve, I had Lakanto monk fruit sugar; gave the cake a cooling effect – won’t do that again. Overall, I wld def bake this again! Kudos to Miss Carolyn!