How to Fold in Egg Whites

Last Updated: November 5, 2022

Folding egg whites into a cake batter for an angel food cake (shown here), a souffle or extra fluffy waffles takes a little practice but is completely worth it. The egg whites are incorporated for making a fluffier, lighter (and more delicious) batter. Keep in mind that care must be used to keep from over mixing the egg whites and losing the benefits of their fluffiness.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Separating the Egg Whites

1
Select very fresh, and very cold eggs. Choose large or extra large eggs to make separating them easier. The best results are obtained with very fresh eggs, since the protein "strings" that cause the stiffening of the whites break down over time.
2
Separate the eggs. When doing this you must be careful not to get any yolk or shell pieces mixed in with the whites of the eggs. There are several ways to separate an egg^{[1]
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- Method One: Carefully break the eggshell in half, and hold it over a bowl to allow the egg white to pour out slowly while the yolk remains in the shell.
- Method Two: Place the entire egg into a shallow bowl and pour off the white without breaking the yolk. It helps to hold the yolk back from the edge of a bowl with a spoon. Either method requires practice.
- Method Three: Hold a slotted spoon over a bowl. Crack the egg open and then pour the yolk and white through the slotted spoon. The spoon will allow the whites to go through and down into the bowl, while the yolk will remain in the spoon.
- Method Four: Put the egg in a bowl. Find a plastic bottle with a wider mouth. Now pinch the bottle so that it crinkles, and place it over the egg yolk. Let the pressure on the bottle release, and the yolk should be sucked up into the bottle.
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3
Allow the egg whites to warm to room temperature. You can save the yolks for another recipe, such as homemade mayonnaise, or you can use them later if the recipe calls for that.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Beating the Egg Whites

1
Place the egg white(s) in a straight sided mixing bowl. Mix the egg whites at medium high or high speed with an electric mixer. Keep the mixer moving around the inside perimeter of the bowl so all the contents are mixed equally and thoroughly.
2
Beat the whites until they have the right consistency. Properly beaten egg whites will be uniformly white and will be rather stiff. They should also form soft peaks and be light and fluffy looking. This is a critical step.^{[2]
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- Some cookbooks recommend adding a small amount, usually less than 1/4 teaspoon, of Cream of Tartar to help with the beating. The cream helps make the egg whites fluffier.
3
Put about a third of the whipped egg white into the batter. Gently mix this small amount of egg whites into the batter. Doing this is called ‘tempering’ the batter and helps with when mixing in the rest of the egg whites. Only stir the egg whites into the batter until the batter looks barely combined and slightly clumpy.
- Make sure all other ingredients are thoroughly mixed according to the recipe you are using before adding the egg whites.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Combining the Egg Whites and Batter

1
Fold the egg whites into the batter. Using a large spatula, cut a path down the middle of the mixture with the edge of the spatula. Gently turn half the mixture over onto the other half. Continue cutting down the middle and turning a portion over.^{[3]
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- This will work even better if you use a large metal spoon or a palette knife to "cut" the egg whites into the mixture.
2
Don't stir the egg whites into the batter. The purpose of folding is to retain the air you have beaten into the whites. Be careful to only work the batter enough to incorporate the whites, and never use an electric mixer for this step.^{[4]
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3
Finished. The finished mixture should still look a little lumpy but no egg whites should actually be showing.

Community Q&A

Question

Can batter mixture poured in an egg white mixture?

Community Answer

Egg whites must be folded into the batter. Fold in about one quarter of the egg white mixture at a time. Never stir in the egg whites; folding incorporates the whites and makes the end product light and airy.
Question

Why do we need to fold the egg whites with other ingredients?

KateKatey Girl

Community Answer

If you've whipped the egg whites to a pretty firm consistency, folding them into other ingredients gently helps keep the fluffiness of the whites while incorporating them. Fold them gently, and just enough to get them mixed into the other ingredients.