Angel Food Cake Mistakes and Causes

     Angel food cakes are made without yeast or baking soda.  They are leavened with air.  To get a light as a feather cake depends on how much you beat the egg whites, the way you fold them into the batter and the temperature of the oven when you bake the cake.  Egg whites should be beaten until they will hold in soft peaks but before they are stiff and glossy.  It's a very delicate balance.  Angel food cakes are so wonderful and light and delicious but sometimes when we make our own things don't always turn out right and here are some of the reasons why:

Tough Cake:

     The oven was too hot

     Not enough sugar in the batter

     The batter was mixed too long.

Heavy Layer at Bottom:

     The egg yolks weren't whipped long enough

     The egg yolks weren't incorporated properly into the batter

The texture isn't smooth:

     Egg whites weren't beaten long enough

     The cake batter ingredients weren't incorporated well

     The oven wasn't hot enough

Crust is cracked:

     The egg whites were over beaten

     Too much sugar

     The oven was too hot

Crust is sticky to the touch:

     Too much sugar in the batter

     Didn't bake long enough

The cake didn't rise properly:

     Could be caused by egg whites that weren't beaten long enough or egg whites that were beaten too long.

     The batter was beaten too long

     The pan was too big.

     The oven was too hot.