angel food cake

American  

noun

1. a white sponge cake with a light, delicate texture obtained by using stiffly beaten egg whites and cream of tartar.

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Etymology

Origin of angel food cake

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85; after the white color of the cake

Compare meaning

How does angel-food-cake compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• sponge cake vs. angel food cake

Example Sentences

I remembered watching Sandra Lee on Semi-Homemade Cooking take a store-bought angel food cake, fill the center with pie filling, ice the outside, and place it in the center of a table.

From Salon • Dec. 3, 2022

I couldn't understand why anyone would want to make an angel food cake.

From Salon • Dec. 3, 2022

Food writer Allison Robicelli uses it in her angel food cake recipe “that’s ethereally fluffy, no folding or futzing required,” she wrote.

From Washington Post • Apr. 8, 2022

Another dessert that's kind of similar because it has a lot of eggs, is angel food cake.

From Salon • Dec. 4, 2021

I plug some headphones into the family laptop, select the angel food cake episode of The Great British Baking Show, and turn up the sound so I can’t hear them arguing.

From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan