GLUTEN FREE CHOCOLATE ANGEL FOOD CAKE

Posted by Bryna Bear aka Gluten Free Baking Bear

     This cake is moist and light and delicious.  Gluten free flours tend to make batter wetter and in this case it was a great advantage.  Usually I find Angel Food Cake to be dry and just about tasteless, but this recipe is so moist and yummy it is hard to stop eating it.  This is a Martha Stewart recipe that I converted to gluten free.

     I had lots of egg whites left from all the pastry cream I made for the GF Éclairs on my last post.  Having just joined Weight Watchers I wanted to try a lower calorie/weight watcher point recipe and decided to give Angel Food Cake a try.  You can save egg whites in the refrigerator for about two weeks and in the freezer for a year.  Keep track of the number of egg whites by marking the top of the container.  Angel Food Cake takes 13 egg whites.

     The cake ironically got a smaller waistline because I dropped it onto the rack when I turned it over to cool.  The individual slices looked fine.  I guess I could have tied a ribbon around the middle if I were going to serve it at a party. 

     I brought this to a meeting and everyone loved it.  If you cut the cake into 32 slices each slice is 1 Weight Watchers point.  Warning two slices equals 3 points, just saying…   

GLUTEN FREE CHOCOLATE ANGEL FOOD CAKE

Ingredients

½ cup	Tapioca Flour
¼ cup	Sorghum Flour
¼ cup	Chickpea Flour
½ tsp.	Xanthan Gum
1 ½ cups	Sugar – divided  (I used evaporated cane juice crystals...this produces a more natural and less sweet tasting result.)
1 ¾ cups/ about 13 large	Egg Whites
1 Tbs.	Warm Water
½ tsp.	Sea Salt
1 tsp.	Cream of Tarter
1 tsp.	Vanilla Extract
¼ cup	Cocoa Powder
1 tsp.	Baking Powder

Directions

     Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place rack in the center of the oven.

     You will need an ungreased angel food pan or a 10-inch tube pan.  An angel food pan has little feet on the outer edge to allow the cake to cool upside down and naturally come out of the pan when the cake cools.  I used a two-piece tube pan and ran a knife along the edges and bottom of the pan to help the cake come out to cool on the rack.

Tube pan with a removable bottom and center.

     Sift ¾ cup sugar, cocoa, flours, xanthan gum and baking powder into a small bowl.  I placed a sieve over the bowl and added the ingredients into the sieve and then sifted them into the bowl.  Discard any particles that remain in the sieve.  Set bowl aside.

     In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the whisk attachment, mix eggs and water on low speed until foamy.  Add salt, cream of tarter and vanilla and beat on medium speed until soft peaks form.  While the eggs are beating add ¾ cups of sugar, a tablespoon at a time.  You can also use a hand mixer and a large bowl or, if you are really strong and patient, you can use a whisk and a large bowl to beat the egg whites.

     Increase speed to high and beat until the peaks are stiff and glossy, but not dry.  Do not over beat.

Egg whites beaten with sugar until glossy with stiff peaks.

Using a sieve to sift the cocoa mixture into the egg mixture.

     Place the sieve over the bowl with the egg whites and pour 1/6 of the flour/cocoa mixture into the sieve.  Sift onto the egg whites.  With a large spatula gently fold the cocoa/flour mixture into the egg whites.  Repeat until all the flour/cocoa mixture is used. 

Folding the cocoa mixture into the egg mixture with a spatula.

     Place the batter into the ungreased pan.  Run a knife through the batter to release air bubbles.  Smooth the top.

Batter in the pan with top smoothed out.

     Place the pan in the center of the oven and bake until golden brown and the cake springs back when lightly pressed with a finger, 35-40 minutes.  Do not over bake or the cake will be dry.

    If using a tube pan.  Loosen the edges of the cake with a knife or spatula.  After 10 minutes invert the cake onto a rack. With a two-piece pan you can run the knife along the bottom of the pan and loosen the cake.  Cool on the rack until completely cooled.

     If using an angel food pan, invert the cake onto the feet and cool for 1 hour.  Then run a knife around the edges and invert onto a wire rack.

Cooled cake on plate.  Note the cake's waistline.
If you do not drop the cake onto a rack while hot it should not have a waistline.

     Place the cake on a serving platter or dish.  Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.  You can freeze fresh slices or the entire cake and thaw at room temperature when ready to use.

GLUTEN FREE CHOCOLATE ANGEL FOOD CAKE Ingredients ½ cup Tapioca Flour ¼ cup Sorghum Flour ¼ cup Chickpea Flour ½ tsp. Xanthan Gum 1 ½ cups Sugar – divided (I used evaporated cane juice crystals...this produces a more natural and less sweet tasting result.) 1 ¾ cups/ about 13 large Egg Whites 1 Tbs. Warm Water ½ tsp. Sea Salt 1 tsp. Cream of Tarter 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract ¼ cup Cocoa Powder 1 tsp. Baking Powder Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place rack in the center of the oven. You will need an ungreased angel food pan or a 10-inch tube pan. An angel food pan has little feet on the outer edge to allow the cake to cool upside down and naturally come out of the pan when the cake cools. I used a two-piece tube pan and ran a knife along the edges and bottom of the pan to help the cake come out to cool on the rack. Sift ¾ cup sugar, cocoa, flours, xanthan gum and baking powder into a small bowl. I placed a sieve over the bowl and added the ingredients into the sieve and then sifted them into the bowl. Discard any particles that remain in the sieve. Set bowl aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the whisk attachment, mix eggs and water on low speed until foamy. Add salt, cream of tarter and vanilla and beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. While the eggs are beating add ¾ cups of sugar, a tablespoon at a time. You can also use a hand mixer and a large bowl or, if you are really strong and patient, you can use a whisk and a large bowl to beat the egg whites. Increase speed to high and beat until the peaks are stiff and glossy, but not dry. Do not over beat. Place the sieve over the bowl with the egg whites and pour 1/6 of the flour/cocoa mixture into the sieve. Sift onto the egg whites. With a large spatula gently fold the cocoa/flour mixture into the egg whites. Repeat until all the flour/cocoa mixture is used. Place the batter into the ungreased pan. Run a knife through the batter to release air bubbles. Smooth the top. Place the pan in the center of the oven and bake until golden brown and the cake springs back when lightly pressed with a finger, 35-40 minutes. Do not over bake or the cake will be dry. If using a tube pan. Loosen the edges of the cake with a knife or spatula. After 10 minutes invert the cake onto a rack. With a two-piece pan you can run the knife along the bottom of the pan and loosen the cake. Cool on the rack until completely cooled. If using an angel food pan, invert the cake onto the feet and cool for 1 hour. Then run a knife around the edges and invert onto a wire rack. Place the cake on a serving platter or dish. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. You can freeze fresh slices or the entire cake and thaw at room temperature when ready to use.

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