Foam cakes depend on the air beaten into egg whites for lightness. Examples of foam cakes are angel food, sponge cake, and chiffon cake. Angel food cakes depend entirely on beaten egg whites to rise; no leavening agents, such as baking powder or soda, are used in this.

While butter cakes rely on chemical agents like baking powder or baking soda to make them light, foam cakes lean into the use of well-beaten eggs to give them both air and lift.

Foam cakes are typically airy, light and spongy. After it is cooked, the cake and the pan are flipped down on a sheet pan with parchment paper in order for them to cool down at the same rate. Examples of foam cakes are angel food cake, meringue, genoise and chiffon cake.