12 Ingredients To Elevate Angel Food Cake To Heavenly Perfection

When you want to make a light, fluffy cake with a rather neutral, approachable, and versatile flavor that pairs well with just about any sweet ingredient, look no further than angel food cake. This kind of cake sets itself apart from others with its lack of fat. Instead of using whole eggs, for example, you'll just use egg whites, which results in an extremely light, airy texture that creates an undeniably sweet and subtle treat. But whether you decide to use a store-bought mix or make your angel food cake from scratch, you might find that it can be a bit bland when it's served all on its own.

That's why we've compiled this list of common ingredients that can elevate your angel food cake to heavenly perfection. Some of these tasty ingredients can be added to the batter to create a more flavorful profile, while others can be used as a topping for the cake once it's already come out of the oven. With just a few extra ingredients, you can transform a boring, basic angel food cake into a dessert that tastes seriously special. Snag these items from your pantry or fridge, or make a quick trip to the grocery store before you start baking for the most delicious results.

Sometimes, the sweet but neutral flavor of angel food cake is ideal, but other times, you may want a bit more flavor in your cake. Luckily, there are ways to add more of that flavor to the batter without having to incorporate any fat into the mix. Using just a few drops of an extract can add an incredible amount of flavor to your angel food cake, making it more interesting almost instantly. Perhaps the best type of extract to use is vanilla extract, since it's such an approachable flavor and won't clash with any other sweet ingredient you use in the recipe. For the best results, we recommend real vanilla extract, but you can also snag yourself some imitation vanilla if you don't want to spend too much money on the real thing.

Although vanilla extract may be our top choice, it's not the only variety you can use to add more flavor to your angel food cake. Stirring in some almond extract can give the cake a slight nutty edge, and orange extract can imbue the batter with a citrusy touch that'll give your dessert a light boost of flavor that's hard not to love. If vanilla isn't your thing, try out other types of extracts to see how they affect the flavor of the batter.

Some recipes for angel food cake may call for all-purpose flour, while others may specifically require cake flour. Still others may give you a choice regarding which type of flour to use. But if you ask us, cake flour is the way to go if you really want to elevate your cake. Although all-purpose flour tends to be more convenient since a lot of people already have it stocked in their pantries, it'll tend to yield a coarser crumb and ultimately a heavier-feeling cake. That's not necessarily a bad thing in general, but since angel food cake is known for its lightness and fluffiness, it's not necessarily ideal in this particular application.

Rather, we think you're better off using cake flour. As opposed to all-purpose flour, cake flour creates a finer crumb, which also gives the cake that soft and airy texture you're going for. Sure, it may not affect the flavor of the cake that much, but when it comes to baked goods, texture is just as (if not more) important as flavor. Therefore, it's a good idea to stock up on some cake flour before you plan on making your next angel food cake.

Chocolate can make just about anything taste more delicious, so it shouldn't be a surprise that it's ended up on this list of ways to elevate angel food cake. After all, angel food cake doesn't have a ton of flavor all on its own, apart from its subtle sweetness (and perhaps some of that vanilla extract, if you've chosen to add some to the batter). Therefore, it's the perfect kind of cake to top with whatever other sweet components you happen to have on hand. That's where chocolate ganache comes in. This sweet chocolate sauce will add more complexity to the finished dish by imbuing it with even more richness and sweetness. Plus, it's a great way to add some fat to an otherwise very low-fat dessert.

Not only does chocolate ganache taste delicious when paired with angel food cake, but it's also perfect for making the cake look more appealing. Think about it: Wouldn't you rather eat a white cake drizzled with chocolate than one that looks completely plain? Luckily, making your own chocolate ganache is easier than it might seem.

There are so many different ways to elevate a cake. Some methods involve adding more flavor to the batter, while others are more focused on creating a different texture. However, making a cake more visually appealing is another way to enhance the dessert experience, and that's exactly what sprinkles do. Do they add much in terms of flavor? Not really. Texture-wise, they may provide the dessert with a slight added crunch, but they're not really there to do so. Rather, sprinkles are a unique ingredient in that they're usually incorporated into a dish — like angel food cake — specifically to make it look prettier and more colorful. Therefore, it's an addition that makes sense if you really want your cake to pop. Whether you're making an angel food cake for a birthday party, a holiday, or any other celebration, a small amount of sprinkles can transform the way the cake looks.

Simply shake some colorful sprinkles into the angel food cake batter to create a more lively, colorful appearance. Alternatively, if you don't want to actually include them in the cake batter itself, you can use some sort of sticky topping (like the chocolate ganache mentioned above) and then use sprinkles on top of the cake. Either way, you're in for a beautiful treat.

Angel cake is known for its lightness and freshness compared to other types of cake, so it only makes sense to pair it with other light, fresh flavors that won't overpower its delicate flavor profile. That's why topping your angel food cake with fresh fruit works so, so well. Not only will this fresh fruit add flavor to the dessert, but that extra bit of juiciness can make for a more enjoyable texture as well.

So, what kinds of fruits work well with angel food cake? We particularly like working with berries, ranging from strawberries to blueberries to raspberries, for a colorful and lightly fruity topping. Use a mixture of berries if you really want the cake to look more visually appealing. Of course, if you don't have any fresh fruit on hand (or just don't want to spend the money to buy some, considering how pricey it can be, especially out of season), you can also use canned fruit instead. Canned cherries make a nice topping — just keep in mind that since most canned fruits come in syrup, you'll only want to add that fruit topping right before you serve the cake so it doesn't get too soggy.

Have you ever made an angel food cake (or really any type of cake, for that matter) only to realize that the flavor was a bit too sweet and needed some acidity? We've been there too, which is why we love using lemon curd in angel food cake recipes. No, we're not suggesting that you actually add lemon curd to the batter. Rather, lemon curd can make for a delicious topping for your angel food cake. Alternatively, you can use it between layers of angel food cake if you're making a stacked cake.

Regardless of how you decide to use lemon curd in your angel food cake recipe, you'll be amazed at how much complexity it can add to your dessert. Yes, it's sweet, which complements the already-sweet cake itself, but it also provides the cake with a nice hit of acidity. This can help balance out all that sweetness and adds a lovely, citrusy touch in the process. And since angel food cake is already so light in flavor, it won't overpower those delicate citrusy notes you'll find in lemon curd.

If you're someone who likes to make desserts at home, there is perhaps no better canned food you can have on hand than canned pie filling. Of course, it's ideal for making pie when you don't feel like the effort of making filling from scratch, but it can also be used in a wide variety of other dessert recipes, including angel food cake. There are a few different ways to utilize pie filling in your cake recipe. Firstly — and most simply — you can use it as a topping for your angel food cake. It will add both a fruity flavor and a burst of color to the dessert.

However, a method that we think is even more delicious is actually stirring the pie filling into the cake batter itself. This adds some moisture to the cake, which is helpful considering the fact that angel food cake can sometimes turn out dry since it's such a low-fat food. Plus, it creates a beautiful marbled effect that's both colorful and delicious: What else could you want from an easy dessert hack? This works for both homemade and boxed angel food cake, but if you choose to use the latter, you'll be guaranteed a delicious dessert in barely any time at all.

Let's face it: Often, angel food cake can turn out way drier than you probably want it to be. That doesn't ruin the flavor of the cake, of course, but it can make it less pleasant to eat. Therefore, we love adding an ingredient that has some moisture and fat to it to help balance out that dryness that can sometimes occur with this type of cake. If you're looking for this kind of ingredient but really don't want it to overwhelm that light, neutral flavor of the cake itself, look no further than vanilla custard. This creamy, decadent, pudding-like dessert can add that moisture to your angel food cake recipe while providing an extra touch of sweetness along with a lovely vanilla flavor.

Technically, you could use vanilla custard as a topping, but we prefer to use it between layers of cake to create a sort of binding agent. This addition is especially tasty if you also choose to use the chocolate ganache topping that we mentioned before, but it also works well all on its own. If you don't have any custard on hand, you can also try the same trick with Bavarian cream (which is surprisingly easy to make).

Another fruit that pairs particularly well with angel food cake? Pineapple. Yes, it's sweet, which makes it a good match for already-sugary angel food cake. But it also contains just the right amount of acidity that can brighten up the dessert and make it taste way more interesting than it would otherwise. But you don't need to spend time chopping up fresh pineapple to incorporate into your cake — instead, using crushed pineapple in a can will cut down on your prep time and yield deeply delicious results.

For this hack, we suggest using angel food cake mix, as it makes for a quick and easy dessert, and you won't have to adjust the recipe to account for the extra moisture in your canned pineapple. Simply mix the crushed pineapple (along with its juice) into your cake mix, and bake it in the oven until you can stick a toothpick into the cake and it comes out clean. Then, top with icing, or just leave the cake plain to really focus on that pineapple flavor. With the addition of all that fruit and juice in the mix, you'll find that the cake turns out way more moist than it otherwise would without the fruit. Who knew a summery, tropical dessert could be so easy?

Lemon zest can be a game changer in so many different recipes. Yes, it lends whatever you're making that bright, citrusy flavor we all know and love, but it also adds just a touch of balancing bitterness that can really take a dish to the next level. We love using it for savory dishes, of course, but it can also play a starring role in desserts, as is the case when you mix lemon zest into your angel food cake batter. Most angel food cake recipes yield a relatively neutral-flavored base that can handle a lot of other flavors, including lemon. By sprinkling a small amount of zest into the batter, it'll ultimately create a brighter, more fruity cake that pairs well with other lemon-based ingredients (like lemon curd, for example) and sweet additions that depend on the lemon for its acidic zing.

Why use lemon zest instead of lemon juice? Well, lemon juice is a liquid, which may require you to rework your angel food cake recipe to account for that extra moisture. However, when you use zest, you won't have to make those adjustments, and you'll still be able to capture that lemony flavor you're going for.

When it comes to just about any cake (or really any sweet treat in general), there's one easy ingredient addition that can instantly transform the appearance of the dish — and make it a bit sweeter in the process. That ingredient is powdered sugar, and it can make for an especially pretty finish on a cake. The good news is that it essentially requires no extra work. You'll just want to make sure you have a sifter and sift the powdered sugar over the finished cake to ensure it doesn't land in clumps.

Of course, you can do this on just about any cake, even a plain one. However, it looks even better when you're layering the powdered sugar on top of another colorful ingredient like fruit or chocolate ganache. Flavor-wise, it doesn't make an especially significant difference, but that extra touch of sweetness is enough to make the cake taste just a bit more exciting.

Who doesn't love coffee and cake served together? It's one of the greatest dessert combos of all time. But what if you could combine those flavors within the dessert itself, no side of espresso needed? That's exactly what you can do by baking some coffee into your angel food cake. This combo just makes sense — the coffee provides a nice note of bitterness and complexity to an otherwise sweet and relatively simple cake. And since angel food cake doesn't have too pronounced a flavor all on its own, it's not going to clash with the more intense notes of coffee.

Your best bet is to use instant espresso, which you can actually mix into the cake batter. Dissolve it in water first, then add it to the cake mix just like you would with plain water. You can play with different ratios, adding more or less instant espresso depending on how much of a coffee-forward flavor you want to capture. And once it comes out of the oven and you're ready to serve it, you can always add a cup of coffee on the side for even more of that bold bitterness only coffee can provide.