The Best Angel Food Pan

Buying Guide

If you’re looking for a dessert you can enjoy without all the guilt, consider an angel food cake. It’s generally free of fat and cholesterol and can be made with artificial or plant-based sweeteners if sugar is an issue. As for calories, angel food cake comes in around 72 calories per slice. To make an angel food cake from scratch, you’ll need a quality angel food pan.

When shopping for the best angel food cake pan, you’ll quickly discover the pans come in either one or two pieces. If you go with a model that is made from one solid piece, you’ll need to either make sure the pan is properly greased or that it comes with a nonstick coating. The Fat Daddio’s Angel Food Pan, 10-Inch is anodized to provide a natural nonstick coating that won’t peel or flake into your food like other models.

Review the material used to construct the angel food pan. A heavy-gauge aluminized steel, like the Chicago Metallic Angel Food Cake Pan, 9.5-Inch, is ideal, as it heats evenly. That means you won’t have to worry about the inside of the cake being raw when the outside is cooked.

As you browse the available angel cake pan models, you’ll want to keep an eye out for pans with thick, rolled edges, as these are designed to prevent warping. Don’t forget to check the pan’s temperature limits. Some pans are oven safe up to 425 F, while others are safe at temperatures as high as 500 F.

Consider any angel food pans that have something special to offer. For example, there are cake pans with taller sides, as well as cake pans that allow you to cook single-serving angel food cakes instead of one big cake.

• It is best if you stick with plastic or wooden utensils when working with an angel food pan. Metal utensils may scratch the surface of the pan and remove some of the nonstick coating.
• Check the product care label before washing your angel food cake pan for the first time. Some are dishwasher safe, while other must be washed by hand. If you need to hand-wash the pan, use a mild dish soap, hot water and a non-abrasive sponge.
• There are a variety of fun ways you can dress up your angel food cake. You can use a ready-to-use fondant to cover the cake or spray the cake with an edible food coloring. You can top the cake with a little whipped cream and fresh fruit, or apply an icing and top it with a few sprinkles. Consider drizzling a chocolate, raspberry or caramel sauce over the cake. If you prefer, you can bake a little flavor into the cake using crushed pineapples, almond extract or mashed bananas.
• Angel food cake goes great with a cup of coffee or tea.
• Angel food cake must be cooled upside-down in the pan. Some people turn theirs upside-down on an empty wine bottle, but there are actually cake pans that have cooling legs. This makes it a cinch to let the cake cool on any flat surface.
• The cost of an angel food pan is dependent upon the pan’s construction and size. You’ll find the Baker’s Secret 2-Piece Non-Stick Angel Food Pan, 10-Inch comes in on the lower end of the price scale, while the Fox Run Loose Bottom Angel Food Pan, 10.75-Inch has a moderate price. You’ll pay the most for the Fat Daddio’s Angel Food Pan, 10-Inch and the Chicago Metallic Angel Food Cake Pan, 9.5-Inch.