Is angel food cake the same as sponge cake?

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If you’re perplexed by the distinctions, you’re not alone. Sponge and angel food cakes are similar in a lot of ways, and to the naked eye (and tongue), you’re going to notice that both are light and springy without a heavy dense flavor. This is due to the fact that neither uses butter in the recipe to provide moisture, taste, texture, or body. The base is instead produced using eggs, sugar, salt, and flour. Hence, in some ways, angel food and sponge cakes are comparable. more healthy for you than many other kinds of cake.

Also, none of these cakes uses baking soda or baking powder as a leavener. Instead, eggs perform the effort of assisting the cakes to rise and expand, and are a fundamental reason for their trademark airy texture. While cream of tartar is often added to aid in the rising process, some angel food cake purists argue that it is not required because perfectly whipped egg whites should supply all of the leavening required. Personally, I believe if you’re confident in your angel food cake baking ability, it’s really up to you. Yet, if the recipe asks for cream of tartar, you’ll still obtain the desired taste and texture.

While both cakes use eggs, the primary difference between angel food cake and sponge cake is which part of the eggs get used. Angel food cake, for example, solely employs egg whites, but sponge cakes need both. egg whites and yolks . In angel food cake, egg whites are whipped into soft peaks, using plenty of sugar, then folded in with the rest of the ingredients to make a fluffy batter. Sponge cake, on the other hand, whips the egg whites and yolks separately, then combines them together along with some salt and cream of tartar before adding to the remaining ingredients. While some sponge cake recipes do not whip the whites, it is nevertheless necessary that they be separated and not beaten as whole eggs. Sponge cakes have a little deeper taste than angel food cakes due to the inclusion of yolks.

Also, many angel food cake recipes ask for cake flour, although sponge cakes may be made using all-purpose flour. Cake flour is a finer-milled, delicate, low-protein flour that will not weigh down the egg whites or the overall texture of the cake. Nonetheless, like with the cream of tartar statement, if you must use all purpose flour, your cake will not be a failure.

Lastly, angel food cakes work best in a tube pan. Tube pans are like Bundt pans , but with no fluted sides and a removable bottom. Because angel food cakes are so light and don’t use any leavening other than the egg whites and maybe cream of tartar, they’re in danger of collapsing on themselves while they cool. If you use a tube pan, you may flip the cake and remove the bottom to help it hold its form.

So no matter which cake you decide to go with on Valentine’s Day—or any other day—you’ll find something light, delicious, and delectable! Check the list below for some creative ways to dress up and utilize your sponge or angel food cake creations.

The pleasant and reasonably simple strawberry shortcake is one of the most basic ways to utilize sponge cake. Note that because of the texture and lack of butter for moisture, sponge cakes can be challenging to cut. This recipe recommends a serrated knife, but sometimes a knife dipped in hot water can also make cutting easier and less messy. Get our Strawberry Shortcakes recipe .

Among the many reasons why Twinkies are a guilty pleasure, the soft, spongy texture mixed with the creme is just a treat for the senses, even if it’s not a treat for the waistline. With this very simple recipe, you can make your own version of Twinkies. Get our Homemade Twinkies recipe .

This layer cake is made with angel food cake that hasn’t been baked in a tube pan, which makes for beautiful presentation. To prevent it from collapsing, each layer is cooked in its own shallower cake pan rather than a tube pan. Get our Angel Food Layer Cake recipe .

Do you lack a tube pan? Or maybe a couple cake pans for the layer cake seen above? Consider cupcakes! As mentioned, angel food and sponge cakes can be hard to cut to make into smaller individual desserts, so a great way around it is by making individual cupcakes. Since cupcakes are so little, the resulting cake is less likely to collapse on itself. Get our Angel Food Cupcakes recipe .

Sponge cakes are delicate and therefore really go well with delicate ingredients like whipped cream and fruit. But if you want to take things up a level in terms of taste, try this one. Walnuts in the batter and a flavorful caramel sauce makes this version taste more like a “real” cake, but without the heaviness of a thicker base. Obtain the Walnut Cake with Caramel Whipped Cream recipe .

Trifles are a great use for sponge cake: They’re easy to assemble, beautiful to display, and a cinch to dish out. This one makes advantage of a rich lemon curd , which is an excellent use for any egg yolks you may have sitting around from making all of those yolk-less angel food cakes. Obtain the Lemon Mousse Trifle recipe .