Angel Cake
This traditional British Angel Cake is made with three colourful layers of light vanilla sponge, sandwiched together with buttercream. It’s a nostalgic teatime favourite which is much easier to make at home than you probably think.
Quick Look: Angel Cake
- Difficulty: Easy but a little bit fiddly lining the tin into 3 sections.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes.
- Bake Time: 20-25 minutes.
- Total Time: 55 minutes.
- Serves: 8 slices.
- Key Ingredients: Margarine (or butter), self-raising flour, caster sugar & food colouring.
- Dietary Info: Nut-free, with substitutes for gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free and vegan included below.
- Texture: Soft, tender, and cake-like
- Why You’ll Love It: This is the perfect combo of soft cinnamon-spiced apples with a crisp, buttery crumble topping, all made using just a handful of everyday ingredients.
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The Angel Cake That Started It All
If you grew up in the UK, there’s a good chance you’ve had a slice of Angel Cake at some point in your life. With its three colourful layers of vanilla sponge and a sweet buttercream filling, it’s one of those cakes that instantly brings back memories of birthday parties, family gatherings and the supermarket bakery aisle. For me though, Angel Cake always reminds me of one birthday in particular.
When my Dad turned 40, my Mum decided she was going to bake him an Angel Cake. It wasn’t a recipe she’d made before, but Papa had mentioned how much he loved the one from the supermarket, so she thought she’d surprise him with a homemade version instead. Well… safe to say he loved it!
In fact, he loved it so much that he refused to share it with anyone else. Despite having family over to celebrate his birthday, this cake was very quickly claimed as his, and only his. It became a bit of a family joke, and ever since then, Angel Cake has always been “Papa’s cake.”
Looking back now, it would have made the perfect birthday cake alongside a few other classic party bakes, like my Cheese Bread Sticks, Marshmallow Top Hats and Butterfly Cakes.
I’ve been making this particular recipe for over a decade now, and it’s one I always find myself choosing whenever I want something that looks a little bit special but without being overly complicated. It may well look impressive with its three colourful sponge layers, but it’s actually much easier to make than you might think – especially with my little baking paper trick for creating all three layers in a single tin – no special equipment required.
What Is British Angel Cake?
If you’re in the UK, you’ve probably spotted Angel Cake in the supermarket bakery aisle before, beside other favourites like Golden Syrup Cake, Gingerbread and Swiss Roll. With its three colourful layers of vanilla sponge and buttercream filling, Angel Cake is a bit of a British classic.
Despite the name, British Angel Cake is completely different from American Angel Food Cake. Instead of a light meringue-style sponge, it’s made using a traditional vanilla sponge mixture that’s divided into three colours before baking. Once cooled, the layers are sandwiched together with buttercream to create the iconic striped cake.
Homemade Angel Cake is lovely and light, soft and full of vanilla flavour, with just the right amount of buttercream between each colourful layer. Even if my kids do say it’s somewhat boring 🤨 How can a colourful cake ever be boring!?
Key Ingredients:
✓ Caster Sugar: Caster sugar is my preferred choice for Angel because its fine texture creams perfectly together with the margarine, helping to create light, fluffy sponges. But if you only have granulated sugar, don’t worry – it will still work, although the texture may be ever so slightly different.
Want to know more about the different types of sugar used in baking? My Caster Sugar Ingredient Guide explains when to use caster sugar, suitable substitutes and US equivalents.
✓ Butter or Margarine: For most cakes, I recommend using a soft margarine from a tub, as it creams perfectly with the sugar and gives a lovely light sponge. You can, however, use an unsalted butter if you prefer. For the buttercream, however, you’ll want to use a block margarine or butter.
Not sure which margarine to choose? My Margarine Ingredient Guide explains the different types, when to use them and what difference it can make to your baking.
✓ Free-range Eggs: I usually bake with mixed-weight free-range eggs, so I make this recipe with what is probably around medium eggs in the UK (roughly equivalent to large eggs in the US). Egg size doesn’t need to be overly exact here, though, so don’t worry if yours vary slightly.
✓ Self-raising Flour: Self-raising flour gives Angel Cake its light, fluffy texture. If you don’t have any to hand, you can make your own using plain flour and baking powder. I have broken down the quantities in the Recipe Notes below, or head on over to my Self-raising Flour Ingredient Guide for everything else you need to know.
✓ Food Colouring: I recommend using gel food colourings rather than liquid ones, as they give much stronger colours without adding extra liquid to the batter. Add the colouring a little at a time until you reach a soft pastel shade – remember, the colours will deepen slightly as the cake bakes.
How to Divide One Tin into Three Sections
One of the things that puts people off making Angel Cake is that they think they’ll need three separate cake tins. Thankfully, you don’t! I use a 30×20cm (12×9-inch) baking tin, along with one large sheet of greaseproof paper, to divide the tin into three sections for each coloured sponge mixture. It can be a little fiddly at first, but once you’ve mastered it you’ll see it’s actually quite easy.
- Cut a piece of greaseproof paper measuring approximately 60×20cm (24×9-inches).
- Fold the paper in half lengthways, then measure 5cm (2-inches) out from the centre fold on each side and make another fold. These two folds will create the centre section for your plain sponge.
- Open the paper back out, then create a pleat along each of the outer fold lines. The pleats should be roughly the depth of your baking tin so they’ll stand upright and keep each coloured sponge separate while baking.
- Place the folded greaseproof paper into your lined 30×20cm (12×9-inch) baking tin, then fold the excess paper up against the sides of the tin to help keep everything in place.
- Spoon each coloured sponge mixture into its own section, then bake as directed in the recipe below.
Don’t worry if the paper dividers aren’t perfectly straight. They simply need to keep the coloured batters separate while they bake, and once the cakes are stacked together with buttercream, nobody will ever know if they were a little wonky!
Choosing the Right Food Colouring
One of the things that makes Angel Cake so recognisable is the pink, yellow and plain sponge layers. You could, of course, experiment with natural food dyes, but I find food colouring to be the easiest and, truthfully, most authentic way to achieve this.
I always recommend using gel food colourings if possible. Because they’re much more concentrated than liquid food colourings, so you only need a tiny amount to achieve a lovely rich colour without adding any extra liquid to the cake batter. That helps your sponge stay light and fluffy while giving you much better control over the final colours.
And don’t worry if the batter looks a little paler than you’d like before it goes into the oven. The colours deepen slightly as the cakes bake, so it’s always best to add the colouring gradually until you’re happy with it. You can always add a little more, but you can’t take it away!
Top Tips for Angel Cake:
- Don’t Worry About Perfect Dividers: Your greaseproof paper doesn’t need to be folded with millimetre precision. As long as it creates three separate sections for the batter, you’ll end up with nice even layers once the cake is assembled.
- Use Gel Food Colouring: Gel food colourings give much stronger colours than liquid food colourings without adding extra moisture to the batter. Start with a tiny amount and build the colour gradually until you’re happy with the shade.
- Aim for Pastel Colours: Don’t be tempted to make the pink and yellow batter too vibrant. The colours deepen slightly as the sponge bakes, so soft pastel shades will give you the traditional Angel Cake look.
- Let the Sponge Cool Completely: Allow all three sponge layers to cool completely before spreading on the buttercream. Trying to assemble the cake while it’s still warm will melt the buttercream and make the layers slide around.
- Trim the Edges if Needed: If your sponge layers have risen a little unevenly, don’t be afraid to trim the edges before assembling the cake. A quick tidy-up gives you beautifully neat layers and a more professional-looking finish.
- Slice with a Sharp Serrated Knife: A sharp serrated knife will give you the cleanest slices without squashing the soft sponge, helping to show off those lovely colourful layers.
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Angel Cake
INGREDIENTS
For the Cake:
- 150 g Soft Margarine (or Butter) (at room temperature)
- 150 g Caster Sugar
- 3 Free-range Eggs (at room temperature; see Egg Size note below)
- ½ tsp Vanilla Extract
- 200 g Self-raising Flour (see Self-raising Flour note below)
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tbsp Milk
- Pink & Yellow Food Colouring (gel food colouring preferred)
For the Icing:
- 50 g Block Margarine or Butter (softened)
- 110 g Icing Sugar
- Splash of Milk
EQUIPMENT
- Ruler or Measuring Tape
- Small Bowl(s)
INSTRUCTIONS
For the Cake:
- Preheat your oven to 180°c (160°c for fan-assisted ovens, Gas Mark 4 or 350°F). Grease a 30x20cm (12×9 inches) baking tin with a little excess butter/margarine. Take a piece of greaseproof paper around 60x20cm (24×8 inches), fold it in half, measure 5cm in from the fold and create another fold at this point, then open the paper back up – these folds are where your middle sponge will be. Fold a pleat on either side of this middle section (a few centimetres high, around the depth of your tin). Place the greaseproof paper into your tin and fold the excess up the sides of your tin. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter/margarine and sugar together until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until combined before adding the next. Don't worry if the mixture appears to curdle – this will remedy itself once the flour is added.
- Stir in the vanilla and milk. Sift in the flour and baking powder, and mix until you have a smooth batter.
- Evenly separate the batter into 3 bowls. Leave one bowl plain, and add a small amount of yellow and pink food colouring to the others. Mix until well combined – don't go too dark with food colouring, as the colour will intensify as it bakes.
- Spoon and spread the batter into the individual sections of your prepared cake tin. Bake in your preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until risen and golden in colour, and a skewer inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave in the tin until cool enough to touch, then remove the cakes from the tin (using the greaseproof liner to help) and place on a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- Once completely cool, prepare your buttercream.
For the Icing:
- In a bowl, cream the butter/margarine and icing sugar to create a buttercream, adding a little milk to loosen it up to a spreadable consistency if required.
- Trim the edges of the cakes so they are all an even rectangular shape, and trim the tops of the yellow and pink sponges so they have a level finish.
- Spread half the buttercream icing on the top of the yellow cake layer before sandwiching the pink cake layer on top. Spread the remaining buttercream on the pink cake layer before sandwiching the plain cake layer on top.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
All my recipes are developed using a digital scale and the metric system (grams and millilitres). Cup measurements are available as a conversion but these, unfortunately, won’t always be as accurate. For best results, I always recommend baking with a digital scale.
NOTES
Egg Size:
When it comes to eggs, I always buy mixed-weight free-range eggs. Generally speaking, egg size doesn’t make a huge difference in most baking, unless you are using sizes that lean towards the extremes. If you’re unsure which eggs to use, I recommend medium eggs in the UK, which are roughly equivalent to large eggs in the US. That’s what this recipe has been tested with.Self-raising Flour:
Don’t have self-raising flour? For this recipe, simply whisk together 200g (1½ cups) plain flour and 2¾ teaspoons baking powder instead – plus the additional 1 teaspoon of baking powder the recipe also calls for, so 3¾ teaspoons of baking powder in total. If you bake regularly, you can also make a larger batch to keep in your baking cupboard. For full instructions, cup conversions and answers to common questions, see my Self-raising Flour Ingredient Guide.Substitutions
- Butter or Margarine: I usually use a soft baking margarine for the sponge and a block margarine for the buttercream, as I find they give the most reliable results. If you’re baking outside the UK, where margarine quality can vary, you can use unsalted butter instead. I go into more detail about the different types in my Margarine Ingredient Guide.
- Vanilla Extract: Vanilla bean paste can be used in place of vanilla extract if you’d like a slightly richer vanilla flavour. Vanilla essence will also work if that’s all you have in the cupboard, or you can simply leave the cake and buttercream plain.
- Food Colouring: I recommend using gel food colourings for the best results, but liquid food colouring can also be used. Just bear in mind that you may need a little more to achieve the same pastel shades.
Storage
Store your Angel Cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If your kitchen is particularly warm, you can keep it in the fridge, but allow it to come back to room temperature before serving so the sponge and buttercream can soften again.Freezing
Angel Cake freezes well for up to 3 months. For the best results, wrap the whole cake (or individual slices) well before freezing. Defrost overnight in the fridge or for a few hours at room temperature before serving.Tried this recipe?
Tag @bakingwithgranny or use the hashtag #bakingwithgranny!Frequently Asked Questions:
The exact origin of the Angel Cake name isn’t clear, but it’s thought it could have come from the cake’s light sponge and coloured layers, giving it a light, “angelic” appearance.
No. Despite them having similar names, they’re completely different cakes. British Angel Cake is made with a traditional vanilla sponge, with one coloured pink, one yellow, and one left plain, before being layered together with buttercream. American Angel Food Cake is made primarily with whipped egg whites and has a much lighter, airy texture.
I use a 30×20cm (12×9-inch) baking tin with greaseproof paper dividers to create the three sponge layers. But if you’d prefer, you can bake the layers in an adjustable multiway cake tin, or in three separate loaf tins. Just keep an eye on the baking time, as it may vary slightly.
You can, but I do recommend using gel food colouring if possible. It’s much more concentrated, so you only need a small amount to achieve the traditional colours without adding extra liquid to the batter.
Don’t worry – it happens sometimes. Even if one layer rises slightly more than the others, you can simply trim them before assembling the layers. Once they’re sandwiched together with buttercream, nobody will ever know!
Absolutely! Although I prefer to leave my Angel Cake just as it is, some Angel Cakes – especially the individual slices – are finished with a layer of white icing and a pink squiggle piped over the top. If you’d like to recreate that look, simply mix a little icing sugar with enough water to make a thick water icing, spread it over the top of the cake and finish with a pink squiggle using a little coloured icing.
Definitely! Children usually love mixing the colourful batters and watching the three different sponge layers come together. Younger children will just need a little help with the oven and assembling the finished cake layers.
Free-from & Vegan:
Gluten-free Options:
To make this Angel Cake gluten-free, you should be able to swap the self-raising flour for a good-quality gluten-free self-raising flour. The sponge may have a slightly different texture, but it should still bake into lovely colourful layers.
Nut-free Adjustments:
This recipe contains no nuts, but as always, be sure to double-check the allergen lists for your individual ingredients.
Dairy-free Swaps:
To make this Angel Cake dairy-free, simply use a dairy-free soft margarine in the sponge and a dairy-free block margarine or butter alternative for the buttercream.
Egg-Free Adaptions:
To make this recipe egg-free, you can use a vegan egg replacer, such as Oggs. Alternatively, you could try flaxseed eggs (1 tbsp ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tbsp water per egg). As I haven’t tested either option myself, I can’t say for sure whether the texture will vary slightly.
Vegan Substitutions:
To make this a vegan Angel Cake, simply follow both the dairy-free and egg-free suggestions above. I haven’t yet tested a fully vegan version of this recipe, but if you do, I’d love to hear how you get on!
Allergy Disclaimer & Resources:
Any advice or suggestions to make recipes “free-from” or vegan are purely suggestions. Please double-check all packaged ingredients individually, taking extra caution when baking for those with allergies or intolerances.
For official guidance on food allergies, please see Food Standards Agency (food.gov.uk) | For more info on coeliac disease, please see Coeliac UK (coeliac.org.uk) | For more info on a vegan diet, please see The Vegan Society (vegansociety.com)
With thanks to Naomi Seiler for creating these photos.
It’s a wonderful cake. Looks very similar to the Austrian Punch cake, just a different method. Thank you.
Recipe was very understandable and the cake turned out absolutely delicious thank you so much.
Awesome
Need to make a two tier sheet cake for 30 people would I double or triple the ingredients ?
Made this at the weekend and it was perfect. Everyone loved it. Thank you xx
I was so pleased to find this recipe. It was very easy to follow. I did a bit of a Heath Robinson with the cake tin, using foil and baking parchment. That worked well. I was surpsied that the amount of batter was so little but it has made 3 reasonable sized layers! Haven’t tasted yet but will be using both the buttercream icing and a little fresh cream too.
If i made again, I’d get the Wilson gel as recommended and also, remember to use white sugar instead of golden. My colours all look drab, even though they were fairly bright before cooking. I’m very much a novice at this but I did enjoy this bake! Thank you
Hi ,do you use unsalted butter in this recipe?
Sounds lovely. I’m looking at making it for my brother in law he loves angel cake. If you have the loaf tins would you make each mixture 3 times in the 3 different colours or would you still devied the one between the loaf Tin 3 times
Lovely cake Baked with my grandson who insisted we make it in three 8 inch round tine. It turned out really well. He iced top with pink icing but other wise kept to recipe. It tasted wonderful.
Did you change the amounts to use the round tins?
What size eggs do you use. Medium or large?
What size of loaf tin is used
Could I to make a swist on this flavour the pink and yellow layers strawberry and lemon?
Hi Amy, did you do this in the end? Just wondering the same thing myself…
How did you fold the paper to divide the pan into three sections without overlap?
My daughter loves this and so I would like to make a 3 layered round birthday cake. Can you suggest how I would change the recipe to make this
Thanks
Hi did you figure out how to make this round? I’m wanting to make it for my daughters birthday.
Did you make the birthday cake. My daughter wants one. :)
While not an expert baker and lacking the skills and experience my sadly departed grandmother used to exhibit in such matters, I hope I may perhaps be able to provide insight into resolving your dilemma.
If you use the recipe as written, and instead of using loaf tins, a multi-sized cake tin or a tray bake tin, use a round cake tin for each of the three layers, your cake layers will each cook in a lovely round shape.
I apologise for the extraordinary complexity of this proposed approach but I trust that with experimentation and perhaps some fine tuning you’ll achieve success in baking a round cake.
I know it’s a silly question to ask but do you put all three colours together or is it just one at a time. Sorry if I come across a bit dim
Can I freeze this cake? Sounds lovely going to make a huge one for a charity so need to do it a week early because too busy near the day
Freezing it is ia billiantbway to make it beforehand x
Baked this for my family and friends and it went down a treat! Thank you for this excellent recipe: so simple to bake but also so impressive-looking and tasty! (This cake served approximately 8 people)
Such a pretty cake with beautiful layers
Love the recipes Amy and Granny, saving them all as they come in