Angel food cake is a popular dessert known for its airy, fluffy texture. This yummy dish first originated in the US in the 1800s and became a mainstream dessert by the early 20th century.
It’s made from a handful of ingredients, including egg whites, sugar, flour, and cream of tartar. Yet, unlike many other cakes, it doesn’t contain butter, which helps the cake maintain its light consistency. Not having any butter also makes it low-fat, making it a popular choice for those seeking a lighter dessert option.
Yet, there are a couple of tricks to ensuring this cake comes out perfect each time. The first is whipping the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. The second is learning how to properly cool the cake once it comes out of the oven.
This delicate process results in a white, fluffy interior and a chewy, light brown exterior. It also helps prevent the cake from becoming dense, losing its flavor, or even collapsing.
In this post, we’ll discover how to cool down angel food cake the right way.
Let’s dive in.
Understanding the Cooling Process
As I mentioned above, to bake the perfect angel food cake, you have to master the art of two things: whipping egg whites and the cooling process.
While the former may seem pretty straightforward, it’s the latter that can take a bit of trial and error until you get it just right.
Due to this cake’s unique structure and baking process, the cooling process is vital because it allows it to cool evenly. Thus, there’s no loss of volume, sinking in the middle, or shrinking.
In other words, the right way to cool your cake will help it retain its delicate crumbly consistency, ensure its optimal taste, as well as maintain its height.
Cooling Methods
There are three common methods for cooling your angel food cake. All three depend on keeping the cake in the pan during cooling to help it preserve its structure while it’s still hot from the oven.
Yet, only two of them maintain that you invert the cake as a way of preventing it from collapsing as it gradually cools.
Take a look.
1. Inverted Cooling
With this method, you invert the cake upside down as soon as it comes out of the oven. This method works by promoting airflow, so the cake cools down evenly.
Therefore, as it cools down, the cake maintains its structure and height and stays evenly shaped.
The one potential disadvantage to using this method is that it can be challenging to flip the pan over if it has no supports or feet. If this is the case with your pan, there are a couple of alternative methods you can use.
The first is placing the pan upside down on a glass bottle. If you’d prefer to cool your cake without a glass bottle, you can try inverting it on a wire rack instead.
2. Wire Rack Cooling
This method simply means placing the pan upside down over a wire rack and leaving it to cool for an hour or two.
One of the advantages of wire rack cooling is that it prevents uneven cooling without the risk of the cake becoming soggy due to any moisture or condensation gathering at the bottom of the pan. This helps maintain the cake’s overall fluffy and light texture.
On the other hand, there’s one minor drawback to using this cooling method, which is the wire rack may leave marks on the top of the cake.
The good news, however, is that you can avoid this by placing a clean towel or parchment paper on the wire rack before placing the cake.
3. Room Temperature Cooling
For this method, you simply leave the cake to gradually cool down at room temperature.
Start by removing the cake from the oven. Then, leave the cake in the pan and place it on a wire rack on your kitchen counter.
As the cake cools, the flavors will fully develop and the structure of the cake won’t likely suffer any collapse or shrinkage.
There’s one drawback to this method, however. Without inverting your cake, you increase the risk that it’ll lose its fluffy texture, collapse, or not cool evenly.
Another problem is that by not flipping the pan over, there’s a likelihood that some moisture might be trapped on the bottom of the cake. Then, the cake will soak up this moisture, which will affect its texture and flavor.
Tips for Successful Cooling
Here are a few tips of the trade to ensure the cooling process goes off without a hitch.
How Long Is the Cooling Process
In general, the average cooling time is between 45 to 90 minutes. The exact time depends on various factors, such as the specific recipe used and the size of your cake.
Of course, if you can wait the full hour and a half, the better. This will ensure that the cake has cooled down completely, which guarantees optimal texture and taste.
Fixing a Cracked Cake
Patching up a cracked angel food cake can be tricky, but there are a few expert solutions you can try:
- Use frosting, buttercream, or ganache to “glue” the cake together, cover up the crack, and enhance the flavor of the cake.
- If the crack is on the top surface, you can use a serrated knife and carefully trim the cracked portion.
- Flip the cake over so that the crack is hidden on the bottom and the top appears untouched and smooth.
- Fill the crack with whipped cream, fruit compote, or any filling of your choice to hide the crack and add flavor to the cake.
What to Do if Your Cake Has a Moist or Sticky Texture
If your angel food cake appears to be sticky or moist, here’s what you should do:
1. Cool the cake upside down to prevent it from sticking on top.
2. Make sure the cake is completely cooled before removing it from the pan, covering it, or storing it.
3. If you remove the cake from the pan and find it still has a sticky consistency, try placing it in a cool, dry area for a few hours to help dry out the surface and reduce any moisture left in the cake.
4. After it’s no longer sticky, store it in an airtight container or wrap it in plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out. You can also store your cake in the freezer for anywhere between 4 to 6 months.
Final Thoughts
As you’ve come to see, the cooling process is one of the most vital steps in ensuring that your angel food cake maintains its crumbly, fluffy texture and sweet, mouth-watering flavor.
Make sure you follow the steps mentioned in this guide and, most importantly, be patient and give your cake the time it needs to fully cool down.
This will result in a delicious, even-shaped dessert that will delight your friends and family.
Sarah is the founder of Baking Kneads, LLC, a blog sharing guides, tips, and recipes for those learning how to bake. Growing up as the daughter of a baker, she spent much of her childhood learning the basics in a local bakery.