Gluten-free angel food cake is so easy to make. You can prepare this classic gluten-free angel food cake with only a few simple ingredients.
Gluten-free Angel Food Cake may seem scary at first, but it's relatively quick and straightforward to prepare.
Since angel food cake is made with egg whites, it is pretty simple to make fat-free and gluten-free. It's soft and light, with many flavors and a beautiful height. If you follow the recipe, it comes out light as a cloud!
What is the best pan to make Angel Food Cake in?
There are special pans just for angel food cakes that are perfect, but if you don't have one of these, you can use a bundt pan instead. I use a loose-bottom angel food cake pan like this one.
Key ingredients for Angel Food Cake:
Eggs whites:
Angel food cake rises without the need for leavening agents. The air whipped into the egg whites is responsible for the rise; hence, this step is crucial. Make sure you use fresh egg whites free from any form of egg yolk. Any yolk remaining in the whites can interfere with their ability to whip correctly.
Cornstarch:
When combined with flour, cornstarch is believed to "soften" the flour's harsh proteins, resulting in a more delicate baked good. If you use too much it can make your cake dry and crumbly so be careful when measuring!
White rice flour:
White rice flour's unique gelatinous quality helps improve the texture of gluten-free baked items.
Tapioca flour:
Tapioca flour enhances the texture of baked items and helps bind gluten-free recipes. The tapioca flour aids in the crispy texture of crusts and the chewiness of baked items.
Potato starch:
In baking, potato starch adds structure, softness, and binding power. Potato starch works similarly to cornstarch, resulting in a more delicate texture. Like cornstarch, if you use too much it can make your cake dry and crumbly so be careful when measuring!
Sugar:
Sugar increases the temperature when the egg protein thickens, allowing the cake to rise further before setting.
Cream of tartar:
Cream of tartar is an acid that helps stabilize whipped egg whites. Because the egg whites provide the majority of the cake's volume and structure, you cannot swap out this ingredient.
Salt:
Salt enhances the flavor of baked foods by sharpening and brightening them. Also, salt binds the proteins in gluten-free flours and helps air pockets form, resulting in a light and delicate crumb rather than a dense crumb that falls flat.
Soft peaks vs stiff peaks:
Some angel food cake recipes require stiff peaks, while others require soft peaks. When a recipe specifies to whip to "hard" or "soft" peaks, it's important to understand what that means.
Soft: Soft peaks do not hold any shape. When the beaters are lifted, the peaks quickly flop over.
Stiff: Stiff peaks stand straight up and hold the shape when the beaters are lifted.
Whipping egg whites:
By whipping the egg whites, the air is trapped inside the eggs, which causes them to foam, expand in volume, and stiffen.
Start by whisking the egg whites at low speed in a clean, grease-free bowl with a whisk attachment. Large, foamy bubbles will form, and you can increase the speed of your mixer until the egg whites have transformed from viscous liquid to loose foam.
What to serve with your Gluten-Free Angel Food Cake:
Sliced strawberries and whipped cream would be the go-to choice, because they're incredibly delicious. But this cake is incredible on its own, or drizzled with caramel sauce or chocolate ganache, with citrus fruit, or with a dollop of custard. Let's make cake!
The Best Gluten-Free Angel Food Cake Recipe
Equipment
- 1 angel food cake pan or bundt pan
Ingredients
- 12 Whole Eggs Room Temperature
- ¾ Cups Sugar + Plus ½ Cup Divided
- ¼ Cup Cornstarch
- ¼ Cup White Rice Flour
- ¼ Cup Tapioca Flour
- ¼ Cup Potato Starch
- 1-½ Teaspoons Cream Of Tartar
- ¾ Teaspoons Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ½ Teaspoon Almond Extract or Lemon Extract or additional Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- reheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Separate eggs and place egg whites into a stand mixer bowl.
- In a separate bowl using a sifter place cornstarch, white rice flour, tapioca flour, salt, and ¾ cups sugar. sift and set aside.
- In a small bowl measure extracts and put aside.
- Using the wire whisk attachment beat egg whites on high speed until they start to come together ad cream of tartar.
- When egg whites form soft peaks turn speed down and ad extracts, turn speed back up and slowly add ½ cup sugar in a steady but slow stream.
- Beat until stiff peaks are formed.
- Remove bowl and fold dry mixture in one large spoonful at a time careful not to deflate your egg whites.
- Place mixture into ungreased angel food cake pan and bake for approx. 55-60 minutes.
- When cake is done, remove from the oven and turn upside down on a cup or bottle and cool completely before removing from the pan.
Notes
Nutrition
Photos: Meg van der Kruik - try her incredible Crumble Coffee Cake too!
Frequently Asked Questions about this Angel Food Cake Recipe:
It's sweet yet not so sweet it'll make you sick. Angel food cake tastes like a delicious cloud. It has a mild vanilla flavor, and sometimes hints of almond or lemon.
To freeze your angel food cake, wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in a freezer-safe container, like Tupperware. Angel food cake will keep in the freezer for up to 4-6 months.
Berries, whipped cream, chocolate, etc. Pretty much anything sweet will go well with this Angel food cake!
Angel Food Cake is fully baked when the top is golden and springs back when you touch it lightly. If the cake doesn't spring back, bake for at least 5 more minutes.
The toothpick test doesn't work with angel food cakes!
Angel food cake is not the same as yellow cake or box mixes. It's a white cake, to be exact. That means it consists of solely egg whites and no yolks. Angel food cake gets its fluffy meringue-like lift from egg whites.
Easy Homemade Whipped Cream!
Cupcake Wars 4x champion Kyra Bussanich of Kyra's Bake Shop shares her fluffy, delectable whipped cream recipe, which is infused with cinnamon. It can also be made with vanilla.
Five-minute vegan caramel sauce!
Only five ingredients and five minutes are required to prepare this wonderful vegan caramel sauce! No, seriously. Drizzle it over ice cream, fruit, or lick the spoon clean.
Perfect over a slice of this fluffy cake!
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