We've traditionally shied away from angel food cake in the pages of Cooking Light. It was, we reasoned, too ordinary, too expected. After all, angel food cake is -- and always has been -- light. Light in texture, light in weight, light in calories, and light in fat. Bring on the challenges of pound cake, pecan pie, and crème brûlée instead!

But a funny thing happened along the way: When the occasional angel food recipe did make its way to our Test Kitchens, we found ourselves impressed. Homemade angel food cake really can be delightful.

These angel food cakes are light in all aspects but flavor; we've revved them up by adding coffee, chocolate, coconut, tropical fruits, nuts, and even five-spice powder. Follow our how-to tips, and you'll be able to whip up angel food cake that's perfect (or as close as mere mortals can come to perfect) every time. These recipes will convince you -- as they did us -- that angel food cake can be not only inventive, flavorful, and satisfying but also devilishly good.

Endless Variations

Angel food cake can be modified with just about any flavoring to go from after-noon snack to dinner party dessert, as our recipes illustrate. Here are more ideas.

Chocolate: Add 1/4 cup sifted unsweetened cocoa to the flour mixture.

Chocolate-glazed: Whisk together 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, and about 3 tablespoons water or cold coffee. Drizzle over cooled cake.

Chocolate malt: Add 2 tablespoons malted milk powder and 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder to the flour mixture.

Citrus-glazed: Whisk together 2 tablespoons lime, lemon, or orange juice and 1 cup powdered sugar until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cake.

Ice cream: Cut the cake horizontally into 3 layers, then spread each layer with 1 cup of softened ice cream or sorbet. Reassemble the cake, then freeze it until ready to serve.

Nutty: Fold 1/2 cup finely chopped toasted nuts -- such as almonds, walnuts, or hazelnuts -- into the batter with the flour.

Orange: Fold 2 tablespoons grated orange peel and 1 teaspoon orange extract into the batter.

Pink peppermint: Add 1/4 teaspoon red food coloring to the batter and fold in 1/4 cup finely crushed hard peppermint candies.

Spiced: Add 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice to the flour mixture.