Posted on March 23, 2013November 14, 2017 by Gluten Free Recipes Admin
Cake flour is used in angel food cakes because it contains low protein, which means less gluten. This makes baking a gluten free angel food cake ideal! Because cake flour is a finer texture than regular wheat flour, it is extremely important that you use a superfine gluten free flour for this recipe. I used my Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour Blend, which is made up of superfine white rice flour. You’ll find the link below. I use it in most of my baking recipes. However, I did not use my Gluten Free Cake Flour Blend recipe in this cake, as it contains leaveners such as baking soda and baking powder, which you do not want to add to an angel food cake. Angel food cake uses egg whites as the leavener, and a bit of cream of tartar to stabilize the egg whites and prevent them from drying out.It contains no fat, making this an ideal dessert for waistline watchers!
Note: Look for recipes like this in my upcoming cookbook, Carla’s Best125 Gluten-Free Recipes.
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Inactive: 90 minutes
Gluten Free Angel Food Cake
5
Yield: Makes 6 - 8 servings
An easy gluten free angel food cake recipe which may be served with fruit, fruit sauce, whipped cream, mousse, custard, and much more. Tastes like the real thing!
Ingredients:
- 1-3/4 cups superfine sugar (or granulated sugar)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup Carla's Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour Blend recipe (I used all superfine brown rice flour)
- 12 egg whites, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (or almond, lemon or orange)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or pineapple juice (optional)
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F with the rack on the bottom.
- If using regular sugar, in a food processor, grind together sugar and salt until fine in texture, about 2 minutes. Allow dust to settle before removing lid. Remove half of the sugar and set aside.
- Whisk together the remaining sugar and flour blend; set aside.
- In the bowl of your mixer, beat egg whites, cream of tartar, extract, and juice, if using, on medium speed until a bit foamy (prior to soft peaks forming) about 30 - 45 seconds. Add half of the sugar that you set aside (not the flour/sugar mixture). Beat until it reaches soft peaks.*
- Sift one-fourth of the flour/sugar mixture on top of the egg whites. Fold in gently, using a rubber spatula, about 4 - 6 folds as you turn the bowl. Repeat with remaining flour mixture 3 more times.
- Scoop mixture into an ungreased tube pan or angel food cake pan. Alternatively, you may use a 10-inch springform pan, but it will not turn out high. Briefly run a rubber spatula through the batter to remove any large air pockets. Smooth out the top and rinse off the spatula. While spatula is still damp, run it across the top of the batter again for a final smoothing.
- Bake on the bottom rack of oven for 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake turns out clean, and it springs back when touched.
- Remove cake from oven.
- If using a tube pan, turn upside down on top of a wine bottle, or similar heat-proof bottle. Allow to cool completely, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. (Angel food cake pans have legs that hold them upside down.) Once you see the cake starting to separate from the sides of the pan and about to fall, remove it from the pan.
- If using a springform pan, loosen cake from sides of the pan using a dull knife; immediately remove the ring. Loosen cake from bottom of the pan and transfer to a cooling rack, right side up to cool completely, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
- Once cool, cut the cake with a serrated knife and serve with your choice of topping. Some ideas include fruit, fruit along with pureed fruit, gluten-free pie filling, whipped cream, custard, and mousse, to name a few. Cover leftovers tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to a week.
Tips
*To test for soft peaks, touch the egg whites with a spoon and withdraw. The egg whites should become pointy and curl at the end.
This is a sweet cake. Therefore, if serving with whipped cream, consider using my Lightly Sweetened Whipped Cream Recipe. People convert to making homemade versus canned after tasting it.
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It is very disappointing that these gluten free recipes all promote rice flour, and gluten free community is consuming too much rice flour, especially children. Most rice flour have high Arsenic content, and brown rice has high level of phytic acid.
I am curious how as to why Gluten free recipe do not use other gluten free flours,
like Buckwheat flour, Millet and coconut flour etc. There are many others gluten flours that can be used.ReplyOne thing I was wondering is, if the eggs are properly whipped, how does the height of the cake compare to an Angel Food cake using regular cake flour?
I’m wondering because my mom and sister are GF and every Christmas I make my grandmother’s orange chiffon cake (it’s like angel food, but uses oil as well.) I’d hate for them to miss out on it, so I was intrigued by this post.
I’ve been a vegetarian for about a decade so I know what it’s like when family doesn’t adapt to dietary needs, and since I’m the only one who can make grandma’s cake, I know mom & sis would be THRILLED to still be able to eat it.
Have a wonderful day!
ReplyIf I wanna use whole eggs to replace all the egg whites, how many should I use (6 maybe) ?Thank you.
ReplyHi Ann,
There are about 3 tablespoons of liquid in one large egg. The whites amount to about 2 tablespoons and the yolk is almost 1 tablespoon. However, if you substitute whole eggs for egg whites, it will not rise and be spongy like angel food cake. You will make a yellow cake recipe, but altered a bit. For a yellow cake recipe, see these recipes: http://glutenfreerecipebox.com/gluten-free-yellow-cake/, http://glutenfreerecipebox.com/gluten-free-yellow-butter-cake/ and http://glutenfreerecipebox.com/gluten-free-dairy-free-cake/.
Good luck and enjoy!
CarlaReplyI did not know that. Learning something new every day
Reply
My first attempt – my angel food cake did not rise to the level I expected, but it has a good taste. I used brown rice flour. The recipe called for soft peaks. How long should I mix to get the soft peaks. This could have been my problem not mixing long enough.
Thanks
JoanSee AlsoButtermilk Pie RecipeReplyHi Joan,
Sorry to hear that your cake did not rise enough. Doing a quick Google search resulted in finding these wonderful tips that may help you: http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/it-s-angel-food-cake-hell-if-you-mix-it-wrong-0.
Carla
Reply
I am wondering if anyone has suggestions as to how to cut down on the sugar a bit, like using honey and/or stevia? Nothing artificial though. Thank you!
Replycarla never mind, when i printed the recipe out the end of step #4 did not print I see it now, thanks,
ReplyHi Carla: This is my first attempt, and I’m still in the process of making…i didn’t see where you say what to do with the sugar you set aside? Does it get used somewhere else that I’m not finding or are we done with it, and what can be done with it?
Thanks!ReplyNot sure if you’re still answering questions (I hope so!) but I was wondering if regular gluten-free all purpose flour would work as well? Thanks in advance!
ReplyHuda,
While all gluten-free all-purpose flours are not alike, because this one calls for so many eggs that an all-purpose flour would work fine. Please let us all know how your’s turns out and what flour mix you used.
Carla
Reply
This is fabulous! My first attempt at this recipe, I used GF oat flour. It was super moist and tasty, but it did have a slight tan color to the cake. It didn’t have that chewy texture like angel food cake, but it was very light and springy. My second attempt, I used only tapioca flour (no blend) and not only is the cake is white as snow, but it had the most perfect texture! Delicious! Thank you for this recipe!!M
ReplyThis surely will make a great dessert for mothers day
ReplyHi, can I replace eggs with something else?
ReplyAnita,
Four large egg whites are equivalent to two eggs. The rule of thumb is to never use an egg relacer for anything over 2 eggs. You can certainly give it a try, but expect different results. You’ll find all of egg substitutes I have run across in my article on Gluten Free Egg Substitutes: http://glutenfreerecipebox.com/gluten-free-egg-substitute.
Good luck!
CarlaReply
Starting my 3rd!! Can’t keep enough made!! Have birthday orders too!
ReplyFacebook Comment – April 4, 2013:
“Wow, Carla!!! Fantastic recipe you created. I am happy to say the Angel food cake turned out to be shear perfection. Moist, delicate, awesome are the only words to describe it!!!”
~ C.M.R.
ReplyFacebook Comment – April 4, 2013:
“Just stuck one the oven. Sure looked good and tasted great!”
~ C.M.R.
Reply
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