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Why You’ll Love My Recipe
Daffodils have long been the ultimate sign of the approach of spring. Light, airy, and bright yellow, this cake—just like a bed of daffodils—is the perfect thing to enjoy when you want a taste of bright, sunny days and new beginnings!
The gorgeous yellow hue of this cake comes from egg yolks, meaning you can have a slice of sunshine in the dead of winter and trick your brain into thinking of sweet springtime breezes instead of ice and frost!
Why not learn How to Make a Lemon Icing Glaze for this recipe? Or if you’re in the mood for a different light and fluffy baked good, why not make a Classic Chiffon Cake instead?
Reader Review
My mom used to make this cake for my birthday and one year my husband and kids did. All time favorite! We add homemade whip cream and strawberries too!
Karlynn’s Recipe Notes
- Skill Level: This cake is easy to make and delicious!
- Total Time: You can have this cake made with 30 minutes of prep and 40 minutes of bake time.
- Variations: For a little extra burst of brightness, serve your Daffodil Cake with some raspberry sauce or strawberry puree! If you’re looking for a slightly different flavor, consider using my tangy orange icing glaze instead of lemon glaze as a topping!
- Tools For This Recipe: You will need a 10×4 inch angel food cake pan, a hand mixer for beating the egg whites into a fluffy meringue, mixing bowls, and a spatula to make this recipe!
What You’ll Need for Ingredients
Cake Flour: While it might be tempting to reach for your everyday all-purpose flour, cake flour has a lower protein content, which means it has less gluten-forming potential. The lower potential for gluten formation means that your cake will end up more tender and fluffy, which is super important for light and airy sponge cakes! If you need a substitute for cake flour in a pinch, whisk together 3/4 cups +2 tbsp of all-purpose flour and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch for something close enough to fool most tasters, but for the best light and airy texture, try to get your hands on cake flour!
Cream of Tartar: Cream of tartare helps stabilize egg whites and helps you get a smooth, pillowy meringue! It’s also a very necessary ingredient for cookies like snickerdoodles, so if you don’t already have some in your pantry, you’ll be happy you have it on hand!
Flavoring Extracts: The daffodil cake is basically a combination of a sponge cake and an angel’s food cake blended together. This allows you to do some interesting things with the texture and flavor of the cake! Instead of using the almond extract that this version of the recipe calls for, try orange extract or a few dashes of orange bitters from your home bar! You could also try using coffee extract or a even a double shot of espresso!
Eggs: This recipe calls for 12 egg whites and 6 egg yolks, but don’t despair! The extra yolks can be used to make homemade mayonnaise or Hollandaise sauce!
How To make Daffodil Cake
This is a quick overview of the recipe. The full list of ingredients & complete step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Preheat your oven to 375°F and set the baking rack to the lowest position in your oven. In a medium sized bowl, stir together the flour and 3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar and set aside.
- In a separate small mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks on high until very thick and light yellow in color. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites, cream of tartare and salt together until the egg whites are foamy. Turn the mixer to high speed and beat in 3/4 of a cup of sugar, adding it 2 tbsp a time until the meringue holds stiff peaks. Gently fold the vanilla and almond extract into the whipped egg whites. Incorporate your flour/sugar mixture into your beaten egg whites 1/4 at a time, folding in gently until well combined. Separate half of your egg white mixture into a medium bowl.
- Take your beaten egg yolks and add them to one of the bowls of egg white mixture, folding together until well incorporated.
- Spoon the yellow and white batters into an ungreased non-stick angle food cake pan, alternating to create a marbled effect. Gently cut through the batter with a knife or chopstick if you want to swirl the colors.
- Bake on the bottom shelf of the oven for 40 minutes or until the top of the cake springs back when touched. Once you remove the cake from the oven, immediately invert the cake pan onto a baking rack to cool before removing it from the pan.
Karlynn’s Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Daffodil Cake
- Naturally Bright: The yellow color of the cake originally comes from using a large number of bright yellow egg yolks, which are mixed into a golden batter that stands out visually from the meringue batter! Farm-fresh, high quality eggs from corn-fed chickens will have the most vibrant yellow color, but if you can’t get your hands on them, just a couple drops of yellow food coloring can help create a more intense visual contrast!
- Slice It Nice: You should always use a serrated knife when slicing sponge or angel food cakes! A regular, straight bladed knife won’t cut cleanly through and will compress the cake as you cut it, leading to gummy edges. A serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion will give you perfectly clean and fluffy slices!
Storage Instructions
Because it is a light sponge cake, daffodil cake should be served within a day or two of making it! I wouldn’t recommend freezing it because the texture and taste will be altered by the freezing and thawing process.
Refrigerator: If you want to make this cake a day or two in advance, let it cool completely and wrap it well with plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container before glazing it. When you’re ready to serve it, remove it from the fridge and top it with your glaze of choice before serving.
Leftovers of this cake can be stored covered at room temperature for up to three days, but note that the cake can start to dry out after two days if not properly sealed.
More Delicious Cake Recipes
- Looking for a fun, colorful cake that comes together easy? Try my Jello Poke Cake!
- Check out my Classic Banana Cake for a way to use up some ripe bananas that isn’t your everyday banana bread!
- Looking for a fun twist on a holiday classic? Give my Sweet Potato Cheesecake a try for your next big family get-together!
There you have it, a sweet and sunny dessert that pairs perfectly with a dollop of whipped cream and some fresh, seasonal fruit! There are few things better than a light and fluffy sponge cake.
Give this daffodil cake and let me know what your favorite combination of flavors is in the comments below!
Happy Baking!
Karlynn
Daffodil Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup cake flour
- 3/4 Cup plus 2 Tablespoons sugar
- 12 Egg whites, (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 6 egg yolks
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 lemon icing glaze, pre-made
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° and set the baking rack to the lowest position in your oven.
- Get a 10×4 inch tube pan or angel food cake pan and a funnel or some way to invert the pan after the cake is baked.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the flour and 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar. Set aside.
- In a small mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks on high until very thick and light yellow in color. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl beat the egg whites, cream of tartare and salt on medium-high until just foamy.
- Turn the mixer to high speed and beat in the 3/4 cup of sugar, adding it 2 tablespoons at a time until the meringue holds stiff peaks.
- Gently fold the vanilla and almond extract into the whipped egg whites.
- Sprinkle the flour/sugar mixture 1/4 at a time into the beaten egg whites, folding in gently until well combined.
- Pour half of the egg white mixture into a medium bowl.
- Take your beaten egg yolks and add them to one of the bowls with the egg whites.
- Spoon the yellow and white batters into the ungreased non stick tube pan, alternating to create a marbled effect. Gently cut through the batter if you want to swirl the colors together.
- Bake on the bottom shelf of the oven for 40 minutes or until the top of the cake springs back when touched. Do not open the oven before 40 minutes or the cake may fall.
- When you remove the cake from the oven, immediately invert the cake in the pan onto a funnel or cooling rack and let hang until the cake is completely cool.
- Once the cake is cool you may need to run a sharp knife around the outside of the cake to release it from the pan.
- Glaze the cake with a light lemon glaze.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Angie Krejcarek says
My mom used to make this cake for my birthday and one year my husband and kids did. All time favorite! We add homemade whip cream and strawberries too!