Gluten-Free Angel Food Cake

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gluten free
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Yield: 10" cake, 12 to 16 servings
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This high-rising, flavorful cake is perfect topped with strawberries and whipped cream. It's so tender and light, no one will suspect it's gluten-free!

Gluten-Free Angel Food Cake

star rating (8) rate this recipe »
gluten free
Hands-on time:
Baking time:
Total time:
Yield: 10" cake, 12 to 16 servings
Published: 04/28/2011

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup King Arthur Gluten-Free Multi-Purpose Flour or ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons brown rice flour blend*
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 3/4 cup Baker's Special Sugar** or superfine sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups egg whites (10 to 11 large eggs, separated, yolks discarded or reserved for another use)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoons cream of tartar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract or Fiori di Sicilia, optional
  • 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons Baker's Special Sugar** or superfine sugar
  • **Can you substitute regular granulated sugar? Yes; it'll take much longer for the egg whites to attain their require volume, and the cake's texture won't be as fine. See tip at right for more information.

Tips from our bakers

  • If you don't have Baker's Special Sugar or superfine sugar, process regular granulated sugar in a food processor until finely ground. The result won't be quite the same, but will be better than using plain granulated sugar.
  • Tips for success:
    •Be sure your mixing bowl is absolutely clean; also, separate your egg whites carefully. The tiniest bit of fat or speck of egg yolk will inhibit the egg whites from beating up thick and foamy.
    •Cold eggs are easiest to separate. Don't worry about warming your egg whites to room temperature; they'll warm slightly while you're getting your other ingredients ready.
    •Don't over-whip your egg whites. Many recipes tell you to whip the whites until they hold a stiff peak, but it's better to whip only until the peaks are still soft enough to slump over at their peak. Under-beating slightly allows the air cells in the beaten whites to expand during baking without rupturing.
    •Directions call for you to both whisk and sift the dry ingredients. This might seem excessive in this time-challenged era, but each action performs a separate function: whisking makes sure the ingredients are evenly distributed; and sifting lightens them, removes any lumps, and allows the mixture to be mixed into the egg whites with little effort.
    •Finally, to retain the egg whites' volume, use the whisk attachment from a stand mixer, or a balloon whisk, to gently “fold” the dry ingredients into the beaten egg whites.

Directions

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1) Preheat the oven to 350°F and place the oven rack in its lowest position.

2) Whisk together and then sift the flour, cornstarch, and 3/4 cup sugar. Set aside.

3) In a large, clean (grease-free) mixing bowl, beat together the egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar until foamy.

4) Add the flavorings. Gradually increase the speed of the mixer and continue beating until the egg whites have increased in volume, and thickened.

5) Gradually beat in the 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar, a bit at a time, until the meringue holds soft peaks.

6) Gently fold in the sifted flour/sugar blend ¼ cup at a time, just until incorporated.

7) Spoon the batter into an ungreased 10" round angel food pan. Gently tap the pan on the counter to settle the batter and remove any large air bubbles.

8) Bake the cake until it's a deep golden brown, and 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, and turning the cake out onto a plate.

11) Cut the cake with a serrated knife or angel food cake comb. If it's difficult to cut, wet the knife and wipe it clean between slices.

12) Serve with whipped cream and fruit. Wrap any leftovers airtight, and store at room temperature.

Yield: one 10" cake, about 12 to 16 servings.

*Make your own blend
Many of our gluten-free recipes use our King Arthur Gluten-Free Multi-Purpose Flour, which includes ingredients that reduce the grittiness sometimes found in gluten-free baked goods. Our flour also increases the shelf life of your treats, keeping them fresh longer.

The following make-at-home blend, featuring stabilized brown rice flour, works pretty well when substituted; and it tastes better than a blend using regular brown rice flour.

Whisk together 6 cups (32 ounces) King Arthur stabilized brown rice flour; 2 cups (10 3/4 ounces) potato starch; and 1 cup (4 ounces) tapioca flour or tapioca starch. Store airtight at room temperature. Note: You can substitute white rice flour for the brown rice flour if you like; it'll make your baked goods grittier (unless you manage to find a finely ground version).

Daffodil Cake: Make the cake batter as directed above, reserving 5 of the egg yolks. In a separate bowl, beat the yolks until light yellow and thick, about 3 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons Baker's Special or superfine sugar, and beat for 2 minutes. Fold in 2 teaspoons lemon zest.

Fold the yolk mixture into half the white batter. Spoon the white and yellow batters alternately into the pan. Gently pass a thin spatula or knife through the batter in the pan to create a marbled effect. Bake as directed above. Serve with lemon curd and whipped cream.

Reviews

1
  • star rating 05/14/2012
  • nhansens from KAF Community
  • This angel food cake is amazing! I was so impressed - no one knew it was gluten free!!!
  • star rating 05/09/2012
  • ljcmsw from KAF Community
  • I have made this cake many times now to rave reviews! I use whole eggs. With the yolks I make lemon curd and make layers filled with curd and whipped cream for icing. I also made custard with the yolks and put that in the layers with cocoa flavored whipped cream icing, drizzled with dark chocolate. The third version uses the custard, whipped cream icing and strawberries in the custard layer as well as decorating the outside. My non-celiac dinner club folks all say it's the best angel food cake they ever had.
  • star rating 03/05/2012
  • from
  • I have CD and have not had angel food cake in years. This was SO good! It was so tender and soft. Even my non-celiac husband couldn't tell this was gluten free! This recipe is definitely worth it!
  • star rating 02/05/2012
  • klstorck20 from KAF Community
  • This is amazing!!! I have gone gluten free for the sake of my breastfeeding child who reacts terribly to dairy, soy and gluten products. Desserts have been hard to come by and this was perfect! No way you could ever tell it was any different than a regular angel food cake!
  • star rating 01/04/2012
  • rslowe100 from KAF Community
  • This Angel Food Cake recipe was absolutely amazing! I made it for my sister who is gluten free and I ended up eating it too, even though I'm not gluten free because it was so good. Instead of using actual eggs and having a ton of egg yokes left over, I bought a carton of Just Whites and it worked out perfectly with just a little bit left over! If you want a cake that is moist, light, and doesn't have a weird texture, this recipe is for you!
  • star rating 08/22/2011
  • LucysPet from KAF Community
  • This was fantastic. I have never made an Angel Food Cake from scratch before so I had to really read the directions, but it was really easy. It came out soft and moist, better than the box mixes. I used my egg yolks to make the Extra-Rich Creme Caramel recipe as I hate to waste. That was also a 5 star recipe! Kudos for your Angel Food Cake success - thanks also for sharing your savvy use of the extra egg yolks. Happy Baking! Irene @ KAF
  • star rating 08/22/2011
  • jenaij from KAF Community
  • Great recipe. I hadn't ever made a GF angel food cake before, and if I have made a gluten-laden one it was so long ago I don't remember. This was pretty easy and turned out great. Even those who didn't need to eat gluten free enjoyed it and said it tasted great. I used my own flour mix and used KAF's superfine sugar. I almost added KAF's cake enhancer, but wasn't sure how it would affect this recipe, so I skipped it this time. So tasty!!
    This is a case where cake enhancer might actually cause the cake to fall?I would not recommend it in this situation as it may not allow the egg whites to gain enough volume when they are beaten. ~Amy
  • star rating 08/01/2011
  • damadero from KAF Community
  • Just like the real thing. Cannot believe it really worked without any xanthan or guar gum. Used KA GL all purpose flour and put regular sugar in the blender to make it into a fine ;owdery sugar. EXCELLENT WORK PEOPLE. KEEP UP THE GLUTEN-FREE WORK AND GET THE ANGEL FOOD MIX INTO A PACKAGE.
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