Angel Cake: a delightful leavened treat that stands out for its soft texture and scenic appearance. Perfect for the Christmas holidays, but not only, this cake is ideal for breakfast or as a sweet conclusion to a meal. It can be prepared in a simple version with chocolate chips, as I propose, or enriched with buttercream and dried fruits.
Its characteristic braided shape makes it particularly fascinating to serve at the table, and the preparation does not require extraordinary skills, just a bit of patience, as with all leavened desserts. I will show you the recipe using sourdough, but I will also provide the doses for those who prefer to use yeast.
After baking, I like to decorate the cake with a simple glaze of powdered sugar and water that, when dried, creates sweet and inviting streaks. The flavor of the angel cake is very reminiscent of a filled brioche.
For lovers of homemade sweets and leavened products, I also leave you other recipes to try.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 12
- Cooking methods: Oven, Electric Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 345.39 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 52.75 (g) of which sugars 19.19 (g)
- Proteins 7.04 (g)
- Fat 12.73 (g) of which saturated 6.87 (g)of which unsaturated 4.08 (g)
- Fibers 1.02 (g)
- Sodium 199.87 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 95 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
For those without sourdough, replace it with 4 g of yeast and add 1 1/3 cups of all-purpose flour and 1/3 cup of water to the ingredients.
- 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (Manitoba)
- 8.8 oz sourdough
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 lemon zest
- 3 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup butter
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips
- 4 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 3 1/3 tablespoons water
Tools
- 1 Stand Mixer
- 1 Knife
- 1 Bundt Cake Pan
Preparation
Start by placing the flour, crumbled sourdough, and sugar in the mixing bowl of the stand mixer and begin at low speed, using the dough hook for tough doughs. While the dough is spinning, slowly pour in the milk and let it combine, then add the egg yolks one at a time, waiting for the previous one to be absorbed before adding the next. After the eggs, add the grated lemon zest, salt, and finally the butter cut into pieces.
When the dough is nice and smooth and elastic (it will take about 20 minutes to be ready), transfer it to a lightly floured work surface. Roll out the dough into a large rectangle about 1/5 inch thick.
Now it’s time to fill our angel cake. I only spread chocolate chips on the rectangle, but as mentioned earlier, you can also prepare the buttercream and spread it over the entire rectangle, then add the chips and possibly some dried fruits.
After filling the rectangle, start rolling it on itself from the bottom, trying to make it tight. Close the two outer edges with your fingers to prevent the fillings from coming out.
Place the roll with the open side down on the table and cut it completely in half vertically, as shown in the photo.
Twist the two ends by intertwining them. It won’t be a difficult operation because the dough is soft and molds easily.
Place your braid in the greased mold and cover it with plastic wrap because it needs to double in volume. I can’t give you an exact time for rising because it depends on the temperature in your home, but I recommend letting it rise in a place without fluctuations like the oven with the door closed. It will take about 6 hours for a complete rise.
When the braid has risen, bake it in a preheated oven at 356°F for about 30 minutes, making sure it doesn’t get too colored on the surface. While the braid is baking, prepare the sugar glaze. Just mix the powdered sugar with the water in a glass, stir with a fork, and as you take the braid out of the oven, drizzle it in a variegated manner over the surface. As it dries, it will become white and crunchy.
NOTES
The Angel Cake is very soft and delicious, but like all brioches, it changes its texture slightly in the following days. Just heat it for a few seconds in the microwave or place it near a heat source to restore its fragrance.
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