In both cake and cupcake format, angel food is sweet and spongy and wonderful when served with fresh whipped cream and berries.

Angel food cake is part of a group of cakes called foam cakes. Foam cakes are composed of flour, sugar, eggs, and flavoring. They contain no chemical leavening agents. Cakes that fall into this category include chocolate angel food cake, chiffon cake, and tres leches cake. (See my post on angel food cake vs. chiffon cake for more on this subject.)

How are Chiffon Cakes Different From Angel Food Cakes?

Despite their similar appearance, the cakes are more different than similar. Here are some key differences between chiffon and angel food.

• Chiffon cake contains fat, while angel food cake does not. While angel food cake is mostly sugar and air, chiffon cake contains egg yolks and oil.
• Chiffon cake uses fewer eggs than angel food cake. Neither cake jokes around when it comes to the products of our chicken friends, but angel food cake requires a whopping thirteen eggs (as opposed to six or seven) and will eat up more than a carton.
• Chiffon cake is sturdier and more versatile than angel food cake. Because chiffon cake contains a chemical leavening agent, it can be made with a wider variety of wet ingredients and add-ins, like fruit juice or chopped nuts. It can also be baked in a variety of straight-sided pans (not only the tubular pan that angel food requires).
• Chiffon cake can be served with a wider variety of fillings, icings, and glazes. Angel food cake is too light and spongy to support much in the way of toppings and too sweet for most icings. I’ve only seen it served with whipped cream and fresh fruit. While chiffon cake doesn’t strictly need a topping, either, it supports a wider array of icings.
• Chiffon cake has a richer flavor and, while still airy, a crumbier texture than angel food cake. Angel food cake is the foamiest foam cake around, with little flavor beyond a general sweetness. The fat in chiffon cake gives it more depth, and it is more likely to pack a punch with its flavors. While classic chiffon cake flavors include chocolate and citrus, today’s bakers give it all sorts of unusual flavor twists. (Take a look at Susanne Ng’s black sesame Pusheen Cat chiffon cake!)

Foam Cake vs. Butter Cake

My sour cream coffee cake is an example of a butter cake. It’s heavier, uses butter, and baking soda.

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