Two-Ingredient Cloud Cake

This small cloud cake combines whipped liquid egg whites with angel-food-flavored protein powder. The whites form the foam and set its structure; gently folded powder provides flavor and additional solids. The result is very light and best eaten soon after baking.

Recipe details

Yield: 1 small cake, 4 wedges
Prep: 10 minutes
Bake: 10–13 minutes
Equipment: digital scale, clean medium bowl, electric mixer, flexible spatula, 8-inch round silicone pan or parchment-lined baking sheet

Ingredients

125 grams pasteurized liquid egg whites
34 grams angel-food-cake-flavored protein powder

Method

Heat the oven to 392°F. Set an ungreased 8-inch round silicone pan on a baking sheet. If using a metal pan or baking sheet instead, line the baking surface with parchment.
Place the egg whites in a completely clean, dry bowl. Beat on medium-high until they form stiff, glossy peaks. When the beaters lift, the tips should stand rather than slump.
Sift the protein powder over the foam in three additions. After each addition, cut down through the center with a spatula, sweep across the bottom, and fold upward. Stop as soon as no dry streaks remain.
Gently mound the batter in the prepared pan without pressing out the air. Bake 10–13 minutes, until the surface is lightly colored, feels dry, and springs back after a light touch. For an egg-safety check, the center should reach 160°F.
Cool 5 minutes, loosen carefully, and cut into four wedges. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Functions, cues, and troubleshooting

Fat or detergent residue prevents egg whites from reaching full volume, so wipe the bowl and beaters dry before starting. Stiff peaks provide the cake’s lift; there is no separate chemical leavener. Fold with broad, deliberate strokes. Stirring quickly or adding all the powder at once deflates the foam and produces a flat, rubbery cake.

Protein powders absorb and set differently by brand, so use the specified angel-food-cake style and weigh it rather than packing it into a cup. The batter should remain visibly aerated after folding. If powder collects at the bottom, make one or two additional folds. If the cake is wet in the center, bake another 1–2 minutes; if tough and shrunken, it was likely overmixed or overbaked.

Substitutions, storage, and safety

Chocolate or marshmallow-flavored protein powder can replace the angel-food flavor gram for gram, but color, sweetness, and texture will change. Whole raw eggs are not a direct substitute because yolk fat collapses the foam. Do not add pudding mix, sweetener, or liquid flavoring without reformulating; each changes the two-ingredient balance.

Use pasteurized refrigerated egg whites before the package date and keep them cold until mixing. Refrigerate cooled cake in a covered container within 2 hours and use within 2 days. The cake loses volume in storage; bring a portion to room temperature briefly rather than reheating, which can make it chewy.

Two-Ingredient Cloud Cake