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Angel Food Cupcakes are the lightest, fluffiest little cakes you will ever bake, and topping them with a dreamy homemade blackberry frosting takes them completely over the top. Made from whipped egg whites, they are airy and delicate with a cloud-like crumb, and that pale purple berry frosting makes them almost too pretty to eat. I made these for a spring baby shower and they were the first thing to disappear. If you love a berry-topped treat, our chocolate cupcakes with blackberry buttercream are another favorite.
The secret to their signature airy texture is whipping the egg whites to soft peaks and gently folding in the flour so they bake up tall and tender.
Angel Food Cupcakes Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 45 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 18 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 63 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 12 cupcakes
- ⚡ Calories: 194kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Light, airy, and delicately sweet with a silky, fruity blackberry frosting
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, on par with our almond raspberry cupcakes
Quick Answer
To make Angel Food Cupcakes, pulse the sugar until superfine, then sift half of it with the flour and salt. Whip the egg whites with water, vanilla, and cream of tartar to medium peaks, gradually adding the remaining sugar. Gently fold in the flour mixture, fill the liners nearly to the top, and bake at 350 degrees for 16 to 18 minutes. Top with a silky homemade blackberry frosting.
Jump to:
- Angel Food Cupcakes Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Angel Food Cupcakes
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Angel Food Cupcakes FAQs
- Other Recommended Easy Cupcake Recipes
- Angel Food Cupcakes with Blackberry Frosting
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Light as a cloud. Whipped egg whites give these cupcakes their signature airy, fluffy angel food texture.
- That dreamy blackberry frosting. A silky cooked-milk frosting flavored with real blackberry juice is fruity, not too sweet, and gorgeous.
- Naturally low in fat. The cupcakes themselves have no butter or oil, just egg whites, sugar, and flour.
- Superfine sugar is the trick. Pulsing the sugar helps it dissolve into the egg whites for the smoothest, tallest cupcakes.
- Perfect for spring. Light, pretty, and berry-topped, they are made for showers, brunches, and celebrations.
- A fun from-scratch bake. They look bakery-fancy but come together with simple pantry ingredients.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They are incredibly light, airy, and fluffy thanks to whipped egg whites.
- The homemade blackberry frosting is silky, fruity, and absolutely gorgeous.
- They are as pretty and light as our lemon blueberry cupcakes.
Key Ingredients
A handful of simple ingredients make these light angel food cupcakes and their blackberry frosting.
- Egg whites: The heart of angel food cupcakes. Whipped to soft peaks, they give the cupcakes their airy, cloud-like texture. Use room temperature whites for the most volume.
- Cream of tartar: It stabilizes the whipped egg whites so they hold their structure and the cupcakes bake up tall.
- Superfine sugar and flour: Pulsing the sugar fine helps it dissolve smoothly, and a little sifted flour keeps the crumb delicate.
- Blackberries: Blended and strained into juice, they flavor and tint the frosting a beautiful natural purple.
- Butter and brown sugar: Creamed together with a cooked milk base, they make the silky, fluffy frosting, similar to the technique in our spice cupcakes frosting.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
These angel food cupcakes are easy to change up.
- Swap the blackberries for raspberries, strawberries, or blueberries in the frosting.
- Top with a simple whipped cream and fresh berries instead of the blackberry frosting.
- Add a little lemon or orange zest to the batter for a citrusy angel food flavor.
- Use the frosting on a different base, like our homemade birthday cupcakes, for a berry twist.
How to Make Angel Food Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a cupcake tin with liners. Pulse the sugar until superfine, sift half with the flour and salt, then whip the egg whites with water, vanilla, and cream of tartar to medium peaks, gradually adding the remaining sugar. Gently fold in the flour mixture.
- Fill the cupcake liners almost all the way to the top with the airy batter.
- Bake for 16 to 18 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in the tin, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Blend and strain the blackberries for juice. Cook the flour and milk into a paste and cool, then cream the butter and brown sugar until fluffy, beat in the cooled milk and blackberry juice, and pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use room temperature egg whites, since they whip up to more volume than cold ones.
- Make sure your bowl is spotless, as any grease or yolk will keep the whites from whipping properly.
- Fold, do not stir, when adding the flour so you keep all that precious air in the batter.
- Do not overbake, and pull the cupcakes as soon as a toothpick comes out clean to keep them tender.
- Be patient with the frosting, whipping it until it reaches a light, fluffy, whipped-cream consistency. It is worth the effort.
- Strain the blackberry juice well to remove the seeds for a smooth, silky frosting.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Angel Food Cupcakes are light enough to enjoy any time, but they truly shine at spring gatherings, brunches, and showers. Garnish each one with a fresh blackberry for a pretty finishing touch.
Arrange them on a cake stand next to our almond raspberry cupcakes and lemon blueberry cupcakes for a stunning berry cupcake spread.
For a celebration table, pair them with our homemade birthday cupcakes so there is a flavor for everyone.
Because of the fresh frosting, store any leftover cupcakes in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to three days. Let them sit at room temperature for a few minutes before serving so the frosting softens and the cupcakes taste their best.
Angel Food Cupcakes FAQs
The most common reason is under-whipped egg whites or losing air when folding in the flour. Whip the whites to medium peaks, make sure your bowl is completely grease-free, and fold the flour in gently in small batches. Room temperature egg whites also whip up taller than cold ones for the fluffiest cupcakes.
Yes. This cooked-flour frosting, sometimes called ermine frosting, can be made a day ahead and stored in the fridge. Before using, let it come to room temperature and re-whip it until light and fluffy. You may need to beat it a few minutes to bring back that whipped-cream consistency.
Superfine sugar is not required, but it dissolves more easily into the egg whites for a smoother, taller cupcake. You can make your own by pulsing regular granulated sugar in a food processor for a couple of minutes, which is exactly what this recipe does.
Absolutely. Thaw frozen blackberries first, then blend and strain them for the juice just as you would with fresh. Frozen berries are often just as flavorful and make this a year-round treat. Strain well to remove all the seeds for a silky frosting.
Because of the fresh dairy frosting, store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Let them sit out for a few minutes before serving so the frosting softens. Unfrosted cupcakes can be stored at room temperature for a day or frozen for up to two months.
This recipe is scaled for cupcakes, but the same batter can be baked in a tube pan for a full angel food cake, adjusting the bake time. Keep in mind angel food cakes need an ungreased pan so the batter can climb the sides. For cupcakes, the paper liners work perfectly.
Made these Angel Food Cupcakes? I would love to hear how they turned out, leave a comment and a star rating below!
Angel Food Cupcakes with Blackberry Frosting
Ingredients
Angel Food Cupcakes
- 3/4 cup + 2 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour sifted
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 6 egg whites at room temperature
- 2 1/2 Tablespoon warm water
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Blackberry Frosting
- 2½ Tablespoon all purpose flour
- ½ Cup milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
- ½ Cup unsalted butter room temp
- ½ Cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 Cup blackberries
- blackberries for garnish optional
Instructions
Angel Food Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cupcake tin with paper liners. Set aside.
- In a food processor, place the sugar and pulse until super fine, 2 minutes. Sift half of the sugar with the flour and salt, set aside.
- In a large bowl with hand mixer or stand mixer, place the egg whites, add in the water, vanilla and cream of tartar. Mix until fully combined. Gradually add in the remaining sugar until incorporated. place mixer on medium speed until egg whites form medium peaks.
- Start to add in the flour mixture a little at a time by sifting it onto the surface of the egg mixture and folding it in in very small batches.
- Fill the cupcake liners almost all the way to the top. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes in the tin, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Blackberry Frosting
- Place blackberries into a blender and blend until they form juice. Strain the juice through a fine mesh colander and discard the seeds. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan, whisk the flour into the milk and cook over medium heat, whisking continuously until thick. Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla and let cool to room temp.
- With a hand mixer or stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy and there is no graininess left. Add in the cooled milk mixture and beat it on high speed until a whipped cream consistency. This can take a while, do not give up! Well worth the effort. Add in the blackberry juice and mix to combine. Frost cupcakes, garnish with blackberries if desired and enjoy! Any left over cupcakes should be refrigerated.
Nutrition
Love This Recipe?
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It would most definitely work with the different milks. I would suggest margarine instead of the coconut oil, but I’m not 100% sure on that.
This frosting looks amazing BUT I am a nursing mom and my baby is very allergic to dairy. Do you know if it would work with coconut oil/margarine(if I have too) and soy/almond milk?
YUM, drooling! I love blackberries. Thank you for linking up with Thursday Favorite Things and I hope you have a glorious day!
Sounds like a delicious combo.
So pinning to try later – I love berry flavours!
Oh good… another idea for my abundance of blackberries in the backyard! Pinning this one – I bet the kids will enjoy making a frosting.
Beautiful cupcake! I love that for summer party 🙂
These are absolutely STUNNING! And angel food with blackberries? So perfect for summer. I’ve got to try these.
Love these cupcakes!!
Erika
http://whaterikawears.com/
Oh my! These look delicious! Pinning!