Monday, September 10, 2012

Gluten Free Angel Food Cake


I've never made an angel food cake, yet always admired them.  There's something a little intimidating about baking an angel food cake, or, at least I once thought so.

When a few of my regular readers asked if I'd create a recipe for angel food cake and post it, my first response was "Of course I will get right on it."  I was intimidated.  I had not made an angel food cake before I became gluten-free and from what I had read and heard it was difficult to do, let alone trying to do it with gluten-free flours.  Gluten-free flours tend not to produce "light and airy, melt in your mouth" kind of cake.

I love a challenge.

I tried many combinations of flours, starches, and various techniques.  I was a mad scientist in the kitchen.

The result was worth it.

This recipe for angel food cake can hold it's own against any non-gluten-free angel food cake out there.  It was light and airy, with a melt in your mouth deliciousness that was undeniably Angel Food Cake.

The ingredients matter, of course, but technique is very important in an angel food cake.  If you don't mix the ingredients the right way, it won't turn out right at all.

Follow these steps and you will soon be stuffing your face, then delighting your friends with a homemade gluten-free angel food cake.

Don't be intimidated like I once was, this is easier than you think.

Ingredients


  • 2 cups of confectioners sugar
  • 1 and 1/2 cup egg whites (at room temperature)
  • 1/2 cup sweet white sorghum flour
  • 1/2 cup potato starch (not potato flour)
  • 1/4 cup tapioca flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon guar gum
  • 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • zest of half an orange


Step 1:
Using the whisk attachment of your stand mixer, begin mixing the egg whites, increase the speed and add the cream of tartar.  Continue mixing until it looks like this.

 Step 2:
While step one is mixing, whisk together the flours and starches with the guar gum, salt, and baking powder.  Set this aside.

 Step 3:
Mix the powdered sugar into the egg white mixture.  Mix it in a little at a time while the mixer continues running at a high speed.  It will get a bit glossy in appearance.  After it's thoroughly mixed in add the vanilla and the orange zest.

 Step 4:
Fold in the flour mixture using a spatula.  It is very important not to over-fold.  Don't stir it.  Just slowly fold in the flour mixture, a little at a time until it's mixed in.

Step 5:
Bake in a 350 degree preheated oven in non-stick pans, no greasing or buttering necessary.  A tube pan is recommended or a couple of loaf pans.  I used a loaf pan and a spring form pan which I put a small glass baking dish in the center (to mimic a tube pan) in this picture.  Fill the pans only 1/2 full of batter due to extreme rise.  Bake 45 minutes.  They are done when a wooden skewer can be inserted and removed cleanly. (the toothpick test)

Step 6:
Cooling.  If you used a tube pan, invert it over a bottle and let it cool completely in this position.  If using loaf pans  (like me) remove from oven and let cool upright until the top sinks down to the pan rim.  The cake deflates a bit, this is normal.  When it's partially cooled and deflated, you can now turn the pans upside down on a cookie cooling rack if desired or anything that allows air to flow underneath.

Step 7:
Using a knife, when cool, cut the cake away from the sides of the pan.  Invert over a platter and it should fall out.


{TIP}  Cut this cake with a serrated knife.  A regular knife would squish the cake, it is melt in your mouth light and airy after all.

Enjoy!