angel food cake

American

noun

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

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In my version, the cup of pumpkin purée makes the cake slightly moister than a traditional angel food cake in a way that I love.

From Salon • Dec. 3, 2022

The film is as delightfully light as your grandmother's angel food cake and just as sweet as that sugary treat, if not without its continuity errors.

From Salon • May 20, 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

This play on a trifle gets some major help from supermarket angel food cake.

From Salon • Nov. 7, 2021

An angel food cake is baked from scratch.

From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023