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.
Keto Angel Food Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (91 g) Swerve Granular
- 1/2 cup (91 g) powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 1 3/4 cups (175 g) almond flour, (about 175g)
- 1/2 cup (40 g) egg white protein powder, (about 40g)
- 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) salt
- 10 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) cream of tartar
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) vanilla extract
Instructions
- 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.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the granular and powdered sweeteners.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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).
- Add the extracts and continue to beat until the whites hold stiff peaks (tips should stand up straight when beaters are lifted).
- 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.
- 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.
- Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking, until the top is uniformly golden and springs back when lightly pressed.
- Remove and let cool in the pan 20 minutes, then turn the pan upside down and let cool completely.
- 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.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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Carolyn!! Hands down the BEST keto cake recipe I’ve ever tried! I just made it and my family and I loved it. You can’t even tell it’s a keto cake!! It’s SO FLUFFY wow, unbelievable! Thank you SO MUCH. I would like to share my photos with you. Also, are you on Instagram? I can’t find you under the name all day I dream about food. I’d like to tag you on the photos of my recipes 🙂
I am under FOODDREAMER on Instagram. so glad you liked it!
I made this w/egg whites from a carton – just whipped up the whites very well.. It turned out well, and I used vanilla whey protein powder. Next time, I’ll beat the egg whites til almost ‘Stiff.’ I also had a bit of batter get ‘stuck’ at the bottom of the bowl. I just tossed that little bit, rather than have it sink the Angel Food cake. Thanks for the great recipe! 🙂
WOW!! I made this for my 48th birthday. I followed the recipe exactly, but baked in a springform pan, as I don’t have an Angel food cake pan. It turned out perfect. I can not believe the texture of this cake!! The flavor and texture are literally Angel Food cake! Thank you so much for putting the time and effort into perfecting your recipes!
Can’t believe how light this was for a low carb cake. I probably baked mine a little too long thinking it wasn’t bouncing back, will definitely take it out earlier as recipe calls for next time because mine was a little dry. Taste was spot on and we served it with strawberries and whipped cream.
Thanks, Connie.
I make this at least once a month. I also serve with berry compote, whipped cream and home made keto ice cream. So delicious and light.
Thank you, Teresa!
LOVED This!!! The texture was spot on and the flavor was great! I ate some with berries and whipped cream but it was delicious on its own as well!
Thank you so much!
LOVE this angel food! My hubs had an angel food cake with strawberry frosting every year for his birthday for decades. When we went LCHF/Keto over 5 years ago I wondered if I would ever find a good recipe. This one hit it out of the park! I use a basic cream cheese frosting recipe and add a couple pulverized strawberries and viola! Another hit from Carolyn’s recipe collection!
I am so glad to hear that!
I recently made this cake with the orange variatuon. I served it with a mixed berry compote and sf whipped cream. Even the pickiest kids loved itvand came back for seconds. It was the perfect summer dessert!
My husband and I LOVE this cake. Before we switched to a Keto lifestyle, my husband did not like angel food cake. But he likes this one and requests chocolate whipped cream to go with it. I have made this 2-3 times and it came out beautifully every time. Thank you so much for all of the hard work you put in so we can have a healthier version of some old favorites. It was wonderful to be able to make this in memory of my mother on what would have been her birthday. Angel food cake was one of her favorite desserts.
Love the chocolate whipped cream idea!
I LOVED this angel food cake! It has the perfect texture—light and airy inside without being dry, slightly dried toward the edges the way good angel food cake should be. One thing is for sure: storebought angel food cake, the sugary kind, doesn’t hold a candle to this recipe. For people who love this recipe, I also highly recommend the Chiffon Cake in your baking cookbook, The Ultimate Guide to Keto Baking. It combines the airy texture of this cake with the rich taste of a buttery pound cake. Both recipes make wonderful French toast.
I LOVED this angel food cake! It has the perfect texture—light and airy inside without being dry, slightly dried toward the edges the way good angel food cake should be. One thing is for sure: storebought angel food cake, the sugary kind, doesn’t hold a candle to this recipe. For people who love this recipe, I also high my recommend the Chiffon Cake in your baking cookbook, The Ultimate Guide to Keto Baking. It combines the airy texture of this cake with the rich taste of a buttery pound cake. Both recipes make wonderful French toast.
Thanks so much!
THIS is my new go to to take to parties and gets made at least monthly. My friends actually request me to make it for them too, including the non-Ketoers. Thank you Carolyn for this amazing recipe. I now can enjoy one of my favorite desserts from grandmother and relive those memories all while using her pan.
Thank you, Monica!
The best I have tried!!! Nobody would ever be able to tell that it wasn’t the old fashioned high carb, sugar laden version!! Awesome recipe!!
I made this today and it’s perfect! Light and airy with a delicious flavor. I’ve been craving angel food cake since I first found this recipe. I finally got an angel food cake pan and was excited to make it.
Thanks for this (and all your) recipe(s)! Another hit.
So glad you like it!
Fabulous! Followed the recipe exactly. Had loads of frozen egg whites to use up to create space in my freezer. Loved the mild almond flavor and the airy texture.
I made this according to the instructions. However, the texture wasn’t quite right. Mine turned out into a dry, dense eggy tasking pound cake. Not airy and fluffy. I baked it for 40 minutes. I wonder if it was overcooked? Not sure what I did wrong.
If it was dense and eggy then yes, something went wrong. it’s very light… I wish I could b sure what the issue is but over-baking wouldn’t do that. What kind of protein powder did you use?