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30-Minute Angel Food Cupcakes

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angel food cupcakes recipe 728
Photo: Mark Weinberg/Styling: Erin McDowell

Don’t be fooled by their heavenly name. Typically, angel food cake is surprisingly finicky to make at home. There’s the egg whites, the sifting, the folding… Can we skip to the eating part already? That’s why these 30-minute angel food cupcakes are so damn genius. 

“The cons of angel food cake are that it involves a lot of egg separating and a lot of careful mixing to to make sure you don’t deflate the batter,” recipe developer Erin McDowell tells us. “But with these cupcakes, all the amounts are smaller, so that mixing happens really quickly. They also bake really fast, unlike traditional angel food cakes, which can take over an hour.” Even better, the whipped cream frosting stays firm, thanks to the addition of freeze-dried strawberries. “They’re great for parties, picnics and summer events because you don’t have to worry about that whipped cream deflating on you after ten minutes.”

Oh, and did we mention they taste like strawberry clouds?


Ingredients

Cupcakes

6 large egg whites

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

½ cup (99g) granulated sugar

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

½ cup (57g) cake flour

Frosting

1 cup (20g) freeze-dried strawberries

½ cup (57g) confectioners’ sugar

1⅓ cups (302g) heavy cream

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Make the Cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup cupcake tin with paper liners. Do not grease the pan or the papers.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment, whip the egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until frothy.

3. Begin to add the sugar gradually in a slow, steady stream. Add the salt and vanilla, then increase the speed to high and continue to whip the mixture to stiff peaks, about 5 minutes. (It should look white and shiny, not grainy.)

4. Using a silicone spatula, gently fold the cake flour into the egg whites by hand, adding a little at a time and folding until combined before adding the next addition.

5. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared liners, then transfer the tin to the oven. Bake the cupcakes until the tops spring back when touched, 18 to 20 minutes. Allow them to cool completely in the pan.

6. Make the Frosting: In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the strawberries and confectioners’ sugar until they form a fine powder.

7. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment, whip the heavy cream and vanilla extract to medium peaks. Add the strawberry-sugar mixture to the cream and whip until incorporated. Spoon the whipped cream onto the cooled cupcakes.

Nutrition Facts
  • Cupcakes

  • 60 calories

  • 0g fat

  • 12g carbs

  • 2g protein

  • 8g sugars

  • Frosting 

  • 107 calories

  • 9g fat

  • 6g carbs

  • 1g protein

  • 5g sugars

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Note: The information shown is Edamam's estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.

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erin jeanne mcdowell

Freelance Food Editor

Erin Jeanne McDowell is a recipe developer, food stylist and author of multiple cookbooks, including The Fearless Baker, which was named one of the Best Baking Books of 2017 by the New York Times. She studied baking and pastry at The Culinary Institute of America in New York, and in addition to developing recipes for PureWow, her work has appeared in Better Homes and Gardens, Food Network Magazine, Food52, The Kitchn and more.