Pound cake vs. Angel food cake — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison
Summary
Angel food cake contains more magnesium, calcium, and Vitamin B2 than pound cake. It is also lower in cholesterol, saturated fats, and sugars.
Pound cake is richer in Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin B family, folate, iron, and zinc.
It also has lower sodium.
Introduction
We will discuss the main differences between angel food cake and pound cake, focusing on the nutritional value.
What's The Actual Difference?
Angel cake and pound cake have different ingredients, tastes, and appearances.
Angel food cake is a sponge cake with egg whites, flour, and sugar. It differs from pound cake in that it contains no butter. The whipped egg white gives it an aerated texture. Pound cake's ingredients are t salt, flour, eggs, sugar, milk, butter, and vanilla. It has a sweet and buttery taste and a dense, velvety texture.
Nutrition
In this section, we will look into the differences between angel and pound cake nutrients. Find the nutrition infographics at the bottom of the page․
Specific food types used in this comparison are pound cake with butter and angel food cake.
Macronutrients
The chart below shows that angel food cake is richer in water and carbs. In contrast, pound cake contains more amounts of fats.
Macronutrient Comparison
| Contains more FatsFats | +1645% |
| Contains more ProteinProtein | +18% |
| Contains more WaterWater | +28.3% |
| Contains more OtherOther | +50.3% |
Fats
Pound cake contains more fats than angel food cake. It has 14g of fat, while angel cake provides 0.8g of fat.
Fat Type Comparison
| Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated fat | +4153.5% |
| Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat | +831.6% |
| Contains less Sat. FatSaturated fat | -97.5% |
Carbs
Both have high amounts of carbs. Angel cake has 58g of carbs per 100g, and pound cake contains 54g of carbs per 100g. If you're controlling your blood sugar levels, be mindful of eating these cakes.
Calories
Both are high in calories. However, pound cake has more calories, containing 353 calories per 100g, whereas angel food cake contains 258 calories per 100g.
Vitamins
The vitamin content of pound cake is richer than that of angel food cake.
It provides five times more Vitamin B12 and more Vitamin B5, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, and folate.
On the other hand, angel cake contains more Vitamin B2.
Vitamin Comparison
| Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A | +∞% |
| Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E | +∞% |
| Contains more Vitamin DVitamin D | +∞% |
| Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 | +69.6% |
| Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 | +82.9% |
| Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5 | +144.9% |
| Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 | +16.1% |
| Contains more Vitamin B12Vitamin B12 | +500% |
| Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K | +∞% |
| Contains more FolateFolate | +20% |
| Contains more CholineCholine | +∞% |
| Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 | +97.2% |
Minerals
Angel cake has more magnesium, potassium, copper, and calcium than pound cake.
The amount of calcium is two times higher in angel cake.
On the other hand, pond cake has more iron, potassium, zinc, and less sodium than angel cake.
Mineral Comparison
| Contains more PotassiumPotassium | +60.2% |
| Contains more IronIron | +184.6% |
| Contains more ZincZinc | +514.3% |
| Contains less SodiumSodium | -49.7% |
| Contains more ManganeseManganese | +29.4% |
| Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium | +50% |
| Contains more CalciumCalcium | +197.9% |
| Contains more CopperCopper | +85.7% |
| Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus | +131.4% |
| Contains more SeleniumSelenium | +46% |
Glycemic Index
The GI of pound cake is 54, whereas the GI of angel cake is unknown. However, both are high in carbs, so it is better to avoid too much consumption. Check our glycemic index chart page for more information about other foods' GI.
Health Impact
Of these two cakes, angel cake is a healthier choice because it has no butter and also contains a good amount of fats and fiber. Besides, it has a low saturated fat and cholesterol content and is high in riboflavin and phosphorus [1]. Nevertheless, it is high in carbs, so be mindful of its consumption.
Diabetes
According to research [2], consuming highly processed foods high in simple carbohydrates may significantly increase blood sugar levels in people with type 1 and 2 diabetes. So it is better to avoid them if you have diabetes or comorbidities.
References
Infographic
All nutrients comparison - raw data values
| Nutrient | |
|
DV% diff. |
| Phosphorus | 140mg | 324mg | 26% |
| Cholesterol | 66mg | 0mg | 22% |
| Saturated fat | 4.811g | 0.121g | 21% |
| Fats | 13.96g | 0.8g | 20% |
| Polyunsaturated fat | 3.419g | 0.367g | 20% |
| Vitamin B2 | 0.249mg | 0.491mg | 19% |
| Sodium | 377mg | 749mg | 16% |
| Threonine | 153mg | 0.248mg | 15% |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.36µg | 0.06µg | 13% |
| Choline | 65.6mg | 12% | |
| Iron | 1.48mg | 0.52mg | 12% |
| Calcium | 47mg | 140mg | 9% |
| Vitamin A | 70µg | 0µg | 8% |
| Starch | 17.36g | 7% | |
| Monounsaturated fat | 3.02g | 0.071g | 7% |
| Vitamin B5 | 0.485mg | 0.198mg | 6% |
| Vitamin B1 | 0.173mg | 0.102mg | 6% |
| Calories | 353kcal | 258kcal | 5% |
| Vitamin B3 | 1.615mg | 0.883mg | 5% |
| Vitamin E | 0.65mg | 4% | |
| Vitamin D | 0.8µg | 4% | |
| Selenium | 5µg | 7.3µg | 4% |
| Copper | 0.042mg | 0.078mg | 4% |
| Fiber | 0.6g | 1.5g | 4% |
| Vitamin D | 34IU | 4% | |
| Zinc | 0.43mg | 0.07mg | 3% |
| Potassium | 149mg | 93mg | 2% |
| Protein | 5g | 5.9g | 2% |
| Folate | 42µg | 35µg | 2% |
| Manganese | 0.11mg | 0.085mg | 1% |
| Magnesium | 8mg | 12mg | 1% |
| Vitamin K | 1.7µg | 1% | |
| Carbs | 53.64g | 57.8g | 1% |
| Net carbs | 53.04g | 56.3g | N/A |
| Sugar | 33.36g | N/A | |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.036mg | 0.031mg | 0% |
| Trans fat | 0.192g | N/A | |
| Tryptophan | 0.041mg | 0.075mg | 0% |
| Isoleucine | 0.204mg | 0.312mg | 0% |
| Leucine | 0.397mg | 0.481mg | 0% |
| Lysine | 0.198mg | 0.364mg | 0% |
| Methionine | 0.117mg | 0.183mg | 0% |
| Phenylalanine | 0.239mg | 0.334mg | 0% |
| Valine | 0.249mg | 0.354mg | 0% |
| Histidine | 0.117mg | 0.131mg | 0% |
| Fructose | 0.33g | 0% | |
| Omega-3 - EPA | 0.001g | N/A | |
| Omega-3 - DHA | 0.007g | N/A | |
| Omega-3 - ALA | 0.372g | N/A | |
| Omega-3 - DPA | 0.005g | N/A | |
| Omega-6 - Gamma-linoleic acid | 0.015g | N/A | |
| Omega-6 - Dihomo-gamma-linoleic acid | 0.008g | N/A | |
| Omega-6 - Eicosadienoic acid | 0.004g | N/A | |
| Omega-6 - Linoleic acid | 2.895g | N/A |
