Easy Angel Food Cake with Citrus Glaze

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Easy Angel Food Cake with Citrus Glaze is a breeze to make. Your guests will rave over it, never guessing it’s made from a box mix. My family loves this easy and classic summer dessert.

Easy Angel Food Cake with Citrus Glaze Recipe – 

Howdy! Chef Alli Here. Let’s Get You Cookin’…. Shall We?? 🙂

Angel food cake. I’ve never made one from scratch, but I’ve heard it involves lots and lots of eggs and lots and lots of beating.  That doesn’t sound fun to me…..especially now that I know you can make a totally FABULOUS angel food cake from a box mix!

If you’ve never done it, you’re likely doubting me right now. However, I have to tell you that you’ve GOT to try one – it’s absolutely going to knock your socks off, especially when you top it with the citrus glaze that I’ve included in this recipe.

What to Love About this Recipe –

• Anybody who eats this cake will assume it’s homemade.
• It’s a fun and easy cake for Spring and Summer – it’s a keeper recipe.
• The glaze really takes this dessert to a whole new level.

Here Are the Ingredients Needed For Making this Classic Angel Food Cake Recipe

• An angel food cake box mix

I happen to prefer Duncan Hines, but I’m betting they are all about the same. And, to make an angel food cake from a box mix, all you need is an electric mixer and water!

You may be wondering where the egg whites come in since an angel food cake is always made from lots of egg whites.  Well, when you make an angel food cake from a box mix, the egg whites are definitely in there, but they are dehydrated within the mix.  Adding the water is what activates the egg whites.

• Powdered sugar, melted butter, lemon and orange juice, lemon and orange zest, a pinch of salt

These ingredients are what you’ll need to make the citrus glaze. You may be tempted to leave out the lemon and orange zest, but don’t you dare! The zest is the most important ingredient in the glaze. You’ll want to get a Microplane citrus zester (one of my top kitchen tools!) to make zesting such a breeze that you won’t mind doing it!

How to Make Classic Angel Food Cake in 5 Easy Steps

**Full, printable recipe card below – just scroll on down within this post to find it!

1. Make the cake according to the instructions on the box.  This requires combining the cake mix with the water – voila! So easy.
2. Pour the prepared cake mix into an ungreased tube pan; bake according to package directions, until the crust is golden brown and cracks on top appear dry – make sure you don’t underbake the cake.
3. When the angel food cake is fully baked and removed from the oven, invert the tube pan onto a heatproof surface to let it cool.
4. Once the cake is fully cooled, invert it right side up; use a flat knife to loosen the edges. Lift the insert in the pan out of the base, bringing the angel food cake with it.  Loosen the cake from the insert, placing it onto a cake platter or cake stand.
5. Meanwhile, prepare the citrus glaze then drizzle it over the cooled cake. Slice and serve!

Helpful Recipe Tips for Making a Classic Angel Food Cake with Citrus Glaze

• I’ve never made an angel food cake.  Is it difficult?

Making an angel food cake from scratch involves beating lots and lots of egg whites.  And that is exactly why I was really overjoyed to learn how delicious (and easy!) making an angel food cake from a box mix is….who knew??

Ever since learning this, I’ve never even bothered about making an angel food cake from scratch and I bet you’ll discover the very same thing.

• What kind of a pan do I need for making a classic angel food cake?

An angel food cake is typically baked in a tube pan (also known as an angel food cake pan) that comes in two pieces, having a removable insert and the outer base. This insert is actually what lets you lift the angel food cake out of the base of the pan, once it’s baked.

• If I don’t have a tube pan for baking an angel food cake, can I bake the cake in loaf pans?

Great question, and yes! You’ll need two ungreased 9 x 5 inch loaf pans for one box cake mix.

• The instructions on the box mix say to bake the angel food cake in an un-greased tube pan….why?

Angel food cakes need baking pans that aren’t greased (unlike pans prepared for most other cakes) because this provides a surface that they can “crawl up” on, which helps the cake rise.

If the cake pan is greased, the angel food cake doesn’t have any way to grip the sides of the pan and can cause the cake to fall in on itself as it bakes.

• Why do you invert a baked angel food cake to let it cool?

When an angel food cake bakes, the rise is created from the egg whites (when using a box mix, the egg whites are dehydrated within the mix) and until an angel food cake cools completely, it’s structure isn’t set.

Allowing an angel food cake to cool upside down makes sure it’s doesn’t collapse in on itself.  Once the cake is fully baked, invert it onto a heatproof surface or cooling rack until it is completely cooled.

Always go by the directions stated on the back of the angel food cake mix, as mixes and cooling instructions do vary.

If you opt to bake your angel food cake in loaf pans, turn the loaf pans onto their sides to cool.

• Is angel food cake healthy?

Well, I’m not sure any cake should be considered healthy, but I can say that angel food cakes are typically much lower in fat and calories, making it a better food choice than most cakes would be.

• Is there an easy  way to make a chocolate angel food cake?

I’m so glad you asked.  All you need to do to make a chocolate angel food cake is to add 1/3 cup unsweetened dry cocoa powder to the cake mix; proceed according to the package directions.

Other cake and dessert recipes to enjoy –

• White Chocolate Strawberry Poke Cake 

• Zucchini Oatmeal Crunch 

• Apricot Almond Bars 

• Strawberry Lemon-Lava Angel Cakes 

• Cranberry Butter Cake 

• Honey Bun Cake 

• Instant Pot Chocolate Lava Cakes for Two 

• Instant Pot Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pound Cake 

• How to Make a Moist and Tender White Cake……From a Box Mix! 

• Glazed Cherry Coffee Cake 

• Berry Good No-Bake Cake 

• How to Make Chocolate-Dipped Cheesecake-Stuffed Strawberries 

Printable Angel Food Cake with Citrus Glaze Recipe – 

Easy Angel Food Cake with Citrus Glaze

Chef Alli

Have you ever made an angel food cake from a box mix? I am absolutely delighted at how delicious it is, not to mention easy. And, all you have to add is WATER! This Easy Angel Food Cake with Citrus Glaze is a dream to make and your guests will rave over it! #angelfood #cake #dessert #summer #bakedgoods

Servings: 8 pieces

5 from 4 votes

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Ingredients

 

Angel Food Cake

• 1 angel food cake box mix, prepared and baked in a tube pan, according to package directions, cooled **For tips on baking and cooling an angel food cake, see the body of this post! may substitute a fully baked angel food cake that is purchased at a baker, too.

Glaze

• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 Tbs. melted butter
• 1 Tbs. lemon juice
• 2 Tbs. orange juice
• 1 tsp. fresh lemon zest
• 1 tsp. fresh orange zest
• tiny smidge of kosher salt, to taste

Instructions

 

• In a medium mixing bowl, combine all of the glaze ingredients, whisking until smooth.
• Place the cooled angel food cake onto a serving platter or cake stand. Drizzle the cake with the prepared glaze, as desired. Slice and serve.

Notes

Recipe Tips: 

• An angel food cake is typically baked in a tube pan that comes in two pieces, having a removable insert and the outer base. This insert is actually what lets you lift the angel food cake out of the base of the pan, once it’s baked. If you don't have a tube pan, you can always bake the angel food cake in loaf pans - you'll need two loaf pans for one cake mix. 
• Angel food cakes need baking pans that aren’t greased (unlike pans prepared for most other cakes) because this provides a surface that they can “crawl up” on, which helps the cake rise. If the cake pan is greased, the angel food cake doesn’t have any way to grip the sides of the pan and can cause the cake to fall in on itself as it bakes.
• Allowing an angel food cake to cool upside down makes sure it’s doesn’t collapse in on itself.  Once the cake is fully baked, invert it onto a heatproof surface or cooling rack until it is completely cooled. If you have baked your angel food cake  in loaf pans, turn the loaf pans onto their sides to cool.

Nutrition

Calories: 381kcalCarbohydrates: 87gProtein: 4gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 467mgPotassium: 60mgFiber: 1gSugar: 72gVitamin A: 96IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 87mgIron: 1mg

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Let’s Get You Cookin’,
Chef Alli

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