Gluten-Free Chocolate Angel Food Cake
This light, airy cake — a "devilish" variation on classic angel food cake — is perfect topped with whipped cream and fudge sauce. It has a moist, melt-in-your-mouth texture — surprising, but very welcome, for an angel food cake.
- Prep time
- 15 min
- Cook time
- 50 min
- Yield
- 16 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 2/3 cup (104g) King Arthur Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour
- 1/3 cup (28g) unsweetened cocoa, Dutch-process or natural
- 1/4 cup (35g) cornstarch
- 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (310g) King Arthur Baker's Special Sugar, divided*
- 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder or 1/4 teaspoon almond extract, optional
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 cups (360g) large egg whites (from 10 to 12 eggs), at room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon table salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F and place the oven rack in its lowest position.
- 2
Whisk together and then sift the gluten-free flour, cocoa, cornstarch, 3/4 cup (143g) sugar, espresso powder or almond flavoring, and baking powder. Set aside.
- 3
In a large clean, grease free mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy. Beat in the salt and cream of tartar.
- 4
Gradually increase the speed of the mixer, and beat until the egg whites have increased in volume and thickened significantly.
- 5
Gradually beat in 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (167g) sugar, a bit at a time, until the meringue holds soft peaks.
- 6
Gently fold in the sifted flour/sugar blend, 1/4 cup at a time, just until mostly blended. The cocoa makes it hard to blend in completely evenly, so leaving a slightly marbled effect is perfect.
- 7
Spoon the batter into an ungreased, 10" round angel food pan.
- 8
Bake the cake until the top springs back when pressed lightly, about 45 minutes.
- 9
Remove the cake from the oven and invert the pan onto the neck of a heatproof bottle or funnel, to suspend the cake upside down as it sets and cools, about 2 hours.
- 10
Remove the cake from the pan by running a thin spatula or knife around the edges of the pan, turning it over, and gently shaking the cake loose onto a serving plate.
- 11
Serve with whipped cream and chocolate sauce, if desired. Wrap any leftovers airtight, and store at room temperature.